"BUY  THE   TRUTH,    AND   SELL  IT  NOT."  B 

Fi 
—  FROM     THE—  '        ra 

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[NTERNATIONAL  AaCT  I  JtesiONARY  SOCIETY  | 

Of"  Se-^e2n.tii.-5.a,3r   .A.d.-^sn.txsts.  B 


ORGANIZED  AUGUST  13,  1874.  B 

B 

B 

Eld    S.  N.  HASKELL,  President,  South  Lancaster,  Mass.  ^ 

W.  C.  WHITE,  Vice-President,  Oakland,  California.  B 

Miss  M.  L.  HUNTLEY,  Secretary,  South  Lancaster,  Mass.  q 

V 


PRINCETON,    N.    J. 


S/iel/.. 


BX    6193    .M5   W5 
White,    James,    1821-1881. 
Sketches   of   the   Christian 
life   and  public   labors   of 


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kj  cure  an   extensive  and  systematic    distribution   of   moral    and   reliyious  literatuie 

^  thri>u;^h()ut  all  civilized  cotintries.      Large  dmations  of  the  same  have  been   made 

g  to  public  libraries,  reading  rooms,  flrst-class  steamers,  etc.,  besides  a  general  distri- 

Itj  bution  of  from  fifteen  t )  twenty  millions  pages  annuallv.     It  also  embraces  in  its  ob- 

y  ject  all  banevolent  and  missionary  eflforts.     Large  deposits  of  publications  are  kept 

£  ciiistatitlv  under  the  direction  of'agents  (see  above),  of  whom  they  can  be  obtained  in     _ 

tl  the  Eiinlisli,  (ierman,  Italian,  Danish,  and  Swedish  languages.      Correspondence   is     B 

13  solicited  with  those  wishing'  further  information.                                                                        H 

E  Pi 

iuiircCEEO^SBEiEBEBBBBEEEEEEEP'iEEEBEBEEEEBEEEECEEEEB 


LIFE  OF  WILLIAM  MILLER. 


SKETCHES 


THE   CHKISTIAN  LIFE 


PUBLIC     LABORS 


GATDEaED     FR03I    UIS    MEMOIR    BY    THE    LATE    SYLVESTER 
BLISS,    AND    FROM    OTHER    SOURCES. 


• 
BY    ELDER   JAMES   WHITE. 


STEAM    PRESS 

OF    THE    SEVENTH-DAT    ADVENTIST    PUBLISHING     ASSOCIATION, 

BATTLE    CREEK,    MICH. 

1875. 


TS 


INTRODUCPfBQ^r&H-i.  .^ 


Before  us  is  a  plain  volume,  the  title  page  of  which 
reads,  "Memoir  of  William  Miller  generally  known 
as  a  Lecturer  on  the  Prophecies  and  the  Second  Com- 
ing of  Christ,  by  Sylvester  Bliss,  author  of  Analysis 
of  Sacred  Chronology,  a  brief  Commentary  on  the 
Apocalypse,"  etc. 

Mr.  Bliss  was  for  more  than  twenty  years  the  local 
and  able  conductor  of  the  Advent  Herald,  which  sus- 
tained the  leading  doctrines  promulgated  by  Mr.  Mil- 
ler, published  at  Boston,  Mass.  The  publisher  of  this 
volume,  Elder  Joshua  Y.  Himes,  Mr.  Miller's  inti- 
mate fellow-laborer  and  friend,  in  his  preface  says : — 

"  The  name  of  William  Miller,  of  Low  Hampton, 
N.  Y.,  is  too  well  known  to  require  an  extended  in- 
troduction ;  but  while  well  known,  few  men  have  been 
more  diversely  regarded  than  he.  Those  who  have 
only  heard  his  name  associated  with  all  that  is  hateful 
in  fanaticism,  have  necessarily  formed  opinions  re- 
specting him  anything  but  complimentaiy  to  his  in- 
telligence and  sanity  ;  but  those  who  knew  him  better, 
esteemed  him  as  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  mental 
power,  a  cool,  sagacious,  and  honest  reasoner,  a  hum- 
ble and  devout  Christian,  a  kind  and  affectionate  friend, 
a  man  of  gi-eat  moral  and  social  worth." 

"  However  his  public  labors  may  be  regarded  by  a 
majority  of  the  community,  it  will  be  seen,  by  a  pe- 
rusal of  his  life,  that  these  were  by  no  means  unpro- 

(5) 


b  INTRODUCTION. 

d  active  of  great  good.  The  revivals  of  religion  wliich 
attended  his  labors  are  testified  to  l>y  those  who  par- 
ticipated in  them  ;  and  hundreds  of  souls  will  ever  I'e- 
fer  to  him  as  a  means,  under  God,  of  their  awakening 
and  conversion." 

"As  the  public  learn  to  discriminate  between  the 
actual  position  of  Mr.  Miller  and  that  which  preju- 
dice has  conceived  that  he  occupied,  his  consei'vative- 
ness,  and  his  disapprobation  of  evei'y  fanatical  prac- 
tice will  be  admitted,  and  a  much  more  just  estimate 
will  be  had  of  him." 

We  hold  that  the  great  movement  upon  the  second 
advent  question,  which  commenced  with  the  writings 
and  public  lectures  of  William  Miller,  has  been,  in  its 
leading  features,  in  fulfillment  of  prophecy.  Consist- 
ent with  this  view,  we  also  hold  that  in  the  jirovi- 
dence  of  God  Mr.  Miller  was  raised  up  to  do  a  specific 
work  ;  therefore  to  us  the  history  of  the  important 
events  in  his  Christian  life  and  public  labors  possess 
peculiar  interest. 

It  is  true  that  Mr.  Miller  and  his  associates  and 
numerous  friends  were  disappointed  in  the  definite 
time  of  the  second  coming  of  Clnist.  And  as  might 
be  expected  from  the  nature  of  the  case,  those  who 
have  not  sufl&cient  interest  to  investigate  the  subject, 
especially  those  who  are  opposed  to  the  doctrine  of  the 
soon  coming  of  the  Redeemer,  conclude  that  the  second 
advent  movement  has  been  a  fanatical  mistake. 

But  we  take  a  more  favorable  view  of  this  matter. 
We  hold  that  Mr.  Miller  was  correct  in  three  of  the 
four  fundamental  points  of  Adventism,  while  on  the 
fourth  he  was  mistaken.  But  even  this  one  mistake, 
viewed  in  the  light  of  Scripture  and  reason,  does  not 
in  the  least  affect  his  general  position. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

1.  Mr.  Miller  was  correct  in  his  views  of  the  pre- 
millennial  second  appearing  of  Christ.  No  doctrine 
is  more  plainly  stated  and  more  fully  sustained  by  the 
sacred  Scriptures  than  the  pei'sonal  appearing  and 
reign  of  Jesus  Christ.  And  whatever  may  be  said  of 
the  views  and  labors  of  Mr.  Miller,  this  fact  will  not 
be  denied,  that  veiy  many  ministers  of  the  different 
denominations  changed  their  views  upon  the  millen- 
nium, renouncing  the  popular  view  of  the  conversion 
of  the  world,  and  the  spiritual  coming  and  reign  of 
Jesus  C'hrist. 

2.  Mr.  Miller  was  correct  in  his  application  of  the 
prophetic  symbols  of  Daniel  and  John.  In  this  he  is 
sustained  by  Protestant  expositors  generally. 

3.  He  was  also  con-ect  in  his  exposition  and  appli- 
cation of  the  i)rophetic  periods.  The  dates  fixed  upon 
have  stood  the  test  of  the  most  rigid  criticism.  And 
those  Adventists  who  have  changed  to  other  dates  have 
done  so  simply  because  of  the  passing  by  of  the  first 
periods  of  expectation. 

4.  But  Mr.  Miller  was  mistaken  in  the  event  to 
occur  at  the  close  of  the  prophetic  periods,  hence  his 
disappointment.  In  the  case  of  the  2300  days  of 
Dan.  8,  which  period  was  the  main  pillar  in  his  cal- 
culations, his  error  was  in  supposing  the  earth  to  be 
the  sanctuary  of  that  prophecy,  and  that  it  was  to  be 
cleansed  hj  the  fires  of  the  last  day. 

The  primary  signification  of  the  word  sanctuary  is 
"  a  sacred  place."  Neither  the  earth,  nor  any  portion 
of  it,  has  been  such  a  place  since  the  fall  of  man,  and 
the  reign  of  Satan  and  of  death  began.  The  apostle's 
commentary  upon  the  typical  system,  in  his  epistle  to 
the  Hebrews,  points  to  two  sacred  places  as  the  sanc- 
tviary  of  Jehovah ;  first,  the  typical  tabernacle  of  the 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

Jews ;  and,  second,  the  greater  and  more  perfect  tab- 
ernacle of  wMch  Christ  is  now  minister  in  Heaven.* 

But  other  great  men  have  made  as  grave  mistakes 
relative  to  the  event  to  occur  at  the  close  of  the  great 
periods  of  Daniel  as  Mr.  Miller.  These,  however,  are 
soon  foi'gotten,  while  that  of  Mr.  Miller  is  ever  fresh 
in  the  public  mind.  The  learned  late  Geo.  Bvish,  Prof, 
of  Hebrew  and  Oriental  Literature  in  the  New  York 
City  University,  in  a  letter  addressed  to  Mr.  Miller, 
and  published  in  the  Advent  Herald  for  March,  1844, 
made  some  very  important  admissions  relative  to  his 
calculations  of  the  prophetic  times.     Mr.  Bush  says  : — 

"  Neither  is  it  to  be  objected,  as  I  conceive,  to  your- 
self or  your  friends,  that  you  have  devoted  much  time 
and  attention  to  the  study  of  the  chronology  of  proph- 
ecy, and  have  labored  much  to  determine  the  com- 
mencing and  closing  dates  of  its  great  periods.  If 
these  periods  are  actually  given  by  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
the  prophetic  books,  it  was  doubtless  with  the  design 
that  they  should  be  studied,  and  probably,  in  the  end, 
fully  understood ;  and  no  man  is  to  be  charged  with 
presumptuous  folly  who  reverently  makes  the  attempt 
to  do  this.  On  this  point,  I  have  myself  no  charges 
to  bring  against  you.  Nay,  I  am  even  ready  to  go  so 
far  as  to  say  that  I  do  not  conceive  your  errors  on  the 
subject  of  chronology  to  be  at  all  of  a  serious  nature, 
or,  in  fact,  to  be  very  wide  of  the  truth.  In  taking  a 
day  as  the  prophetical  term  for  a  year,  I  believe  you 
are  sustained  by  the  soundest  exegesis,  as  well  as  forti- 
fied by  the  high  names  of  Mede,  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 

*For  a  full  exposition  of  the  subject  of  the  sanctuary  and  the 
nature  of  its  cleansing,  see  Thoughts  on  Daniel,  by  U.  Smith,  and 
The  Sanctuary  and  Twenty-three  Hundred  Days,  by  J.  N.  An- 
drews. 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

Bishop  Kewton,  Kirby,  Scott,  Keith,  and  a  host  of 
others,  who  have  long  since  come  to  suhstantialhj  yonr 
conckisions  on  this  head.  They  all  agree  that  the 
leading  periods  mentioned  by  Daniel  and  John  do 
actually  expire  about  this  age  of  the  v:orld,  and  it  wonld 
be  a  strange  logic  that  would  convict  jow  of  heresy 
for  holding  in  effect  the  same  views  which  stand  forth 
so  prominent  in  the  notices  of  these  eminent  divines. 
Your  error,  as  I  apprehend,  lies  in  another  direction 
than  your  chronology." 

Here  Prof.  Bush  speaks  frankly  and  truthfully,  and 
his  words  of  candor  and  wisdom  sustain  the  Adventists 
in  that  feature  of  their  faith  most  objectionable  to  their 
ojDponents.  But  what  was  the  event  for  which  Mr. 
Bush  looked  to  mark  the  termination  of  the  2300 
days  1  Let  the  following  extract  from  the  same  letter 
to  Mr.  Miller  answer  : — 

"  You  have  entirely  mistaken  the  nature  of  the 
events  which  are  to  occur  when  those  periods  have  ex- 
pired. This  is  the  head  and  front  of  your  expository 
offending.  You  have  assumed  that  the  close  of  the 
2300  days  of  Daniel,  for  instance,  is  also  the  close  of 
the  period  of  human  probation,  that  it  is  the  epoch  of 
the  visible  and  personal  second  coming  of  Christ — of 
the  resurrection  of  the  righteous  dead,  and  of  the  dis- 
solution of  the  present  mundane  system.  The  great 
event  before  the  world  is  not  its  physical  conflagration, 
but  its  moral  regeneration.  Although  there  is  doubt- 
less a  sense  in  which  Christ  may  be  said  to  come  in 
connection  with  the  passing  away  of  the  fourth  empire 
and  of  the  Ottoman  power,  and  his  kingdom  to  be 
illustriously  established,  yet  that  will  be  found  to  be 
a  S2)iritual  coming  in  the  power  of  his  gospel,  in  the 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

ample  outpouring  of  Lis  Spirit,  and  the  glorious  ad- 
ministration of  his  providence." 

Evidently,  Mr.  Busli  looked  for  the  conversion  of 
the  world  as  the  event  to  mark  the  termination  of  the 
2300  days.  Both  Mr.  Miller  and  Mr.  Bush  were 
right  on  the  time  question,  and  both  were  mistaken  in 
the  event  to  occur  at  the  close  of  the  great  periods. 
Mr.  Miller  held  that  the  world  would  be  regenerated 
by  fire,  and  Mr.  Bush,  by  the  gospel,  at  the  end  of  the 
2300  days.  The  con version-of-the- world  theory  of  Mr. 
Bush  has  had  the  terrible  test  of  the  last  thirty-two 
years  of  apostasy,  spiritual  darkness,  and  crime.  This 
period  has  been  noted  by  departures  from  the  faith  of 
the  gospel,  and  apostasies  from  the  Christian  religion. 
Infidelity  in  various  forms,  es})ecially  in  the  name  of 
spiritualism,  has  spread  over  the  Christian  world  with 
fearful  rapidity,  while  the  dark  record  of  crime  has 
been  blackening  since  Prof.  Bush  addressed  his  letter 
to  Wm.  Miller.  If  this  be  the  commencement  of  the 
temporal  millennium,  may  the  Lord  save  lis  from  the 
balance.  Both  these  great  men  mistook  the  event  to 
terminate  the  2300  days.  And  why  should  Mr.  Miller 
be  condemned  for  his  mistake,  and  Mr.  Bush  be  ex- 
cused for  his  imscriptural  conclusion  1  In  the  name 
of  reason  and  justice  we  plead  that,  while  the  Chris- 
tian world  excuses  Prof.  Bush  for  his  mistake,  pro- 
fessedly pious  men  and  women  will  not  too  sevei-ely 
censure  Mr.  Miller  for  his. 

If  it  be  objected  that  the  second  advent  movement, 
as  introduced  in  our  country  by  Mr.  Miller,  could  not 
have  been  in  harmony  Avitli  Providence,  in  fulfillment 
of  prophecy,  because  those  who  engaged  in  it  were  dis- 
appointed, then  we  suggest  that,  if  God's  people  never 
have  been  disappointed  on  the  very  point  of  their  ex- 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

pectation  when  prophecy  was  being  fulfilled  in  their 
experience  and  history,  then  it  may  be  that  prophecy 
has  not  been  fulfilled  in  the  advent  movement.  But 
if  one  instance  can  be  shown  in  Sacred  History 
where  prophecy  was  fulfilled  by  those  who  were  en- 
tirely incorrect  on  the  vital  poijit  of  their  confident 
expectation,  then,  after  all,  prophecy  may  have  been 
fulfilled  in  the  great  second  advent  movement  of 
1840-4.     This  matter  should  be  fully  tested. 

The  prophet  of  God  had  uttered  these  words  about 
five  hundred  years  before  their  fulfillment  :  "  Rejoice 
greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion  ;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Je- 
rusalem ;  behold,  thy  King  cometh  unto  thee  ;  he  is 
just,  and  haAmg  salvation  ;  lowly,  and  riding  u2:)onan 
ass."  Zech.  9  -..9.  In  fulfillment  of  this  prophecy, 
while  Christ  was  riding  into  Jerusalem  in  the  very 
humble  manner  expressed  by  the  prophet,  the  chosen 
twelve,  and  the  shouting  multitude,  cried,  "  Hosanna 
to  the  son  of  David  !  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in 
the  name  of  the  Lord  !  Hosanna  in  the  highest  ! " 
Matt.  21:9.  The  people,  and  even  the  disciples,  did 
not  as  yet  undei'stand  the  nature  of  Christ's  kingdom  ; 
and  they  verily  thought  that  Jesus  would  on  that  oc- 
casion claim  his  right  to  the  throne  of  David,  and 
then,  and  there,  be  crowned  king  of  Israel. 

And  when  Jesus  was  i-equested  to  rebuke  his  disci- 
ples, he  replied,  "  I  tell  you  that,  if  these  should  hold 
their  peace,  the  stones  would  immediately  cry  out." 
Prophecy  had  gone  forth,  and  must  be  fulfilled,  if  the 
Spirit  of  God  from  necessity  should  call  hosannas  from 
the  veiy  stones. 

But  the  people  did  not  understand  the  nature  of 
prophetic  fulfillment  of  their  time ;  and  their  disap- 
pointment was  complete.     In  a  few  days   they  wit- 


1 2  INTRODUCTION. 

nessecl  the  dying  agonies  of  the  Son  of  God  iipon  the 
cross,  and  as  Christ  died,  their  hopes  in  him  died  also. 
Nevertheless,  prophecy  was  fulfilled  in  the  ardent 
hopes  and  triumphant  hosannas  of  those  who  were  so 
soon  overwhelmed  with  bitterest  disappointment. 

In  gathering  material  for  this  work,  we  have  copied 
very  largely  from  Mr.  Bliss,  especially  from  the  cor- 
respondence and  writings  of  Mi\  Miller  which  are  in- 
corporated into  his  Memoir.  And  we  have  thought 
best  to  introduce  matter  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Miller, 
not  found  in  his  Memoir,  as  his  writings,  probably, 
better  represent  the  advent  movement  and  cause  than 
those  of  any  othei-.  And  as  the  best  means  by  which 
the  people  may  learn  the  real  sentiments,  the  candor, 
and  the  true  piety  of  this  humble  servant  of  Jesus 
Christ,  we  would  let  his  writings  testify. 

The  introduction  into  this  small  volume  of  so  large 
an  amount  of  matter  from  Mr.  Miller  makes  it  neces- 
sary to  omit  a  large  portion  of  his  Memoir  that  is  de- 
voted to  his  earlier  life,  as  we  hasten  to  his  deeply  in- 
teresting Christian  experience.  But  in  necessarily 
omitting  portions,  we  hope  not  to  appear  to  do  Mr. 
Miller  and  his  biographer  injustice,  while  we  content 
ourself  with  little  more  than  space  for  this  intro- 
duction, and  foot  notes. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  work,  we  have  been  great- 
ly edified  and  refreshed  in  spirit,  as  we  have  necessa- 
rily read  very  much  from  the  able,  candid,  and  godly 
pen  of  Mr.  Miller ;  and  we  heartily  wish  the  same 
l»lessing  upon  the  candid  reader. 

James  White. 

Battle  Creek,  Jamutnj,  1875. 


^ 


AVILLIAM    MILLER. 


CHAPTER    I. 

ANCESTRY   AND    EARLY   LIFE — MARRIAGE — DELSTICAL     SEN- 
TIMENTS— MILITARY   LIFE. 

William  Miller  was  born  at  Pittsfield,  Mass., 
February  15,  1782.  He  was  the  eldest  of  sixteen 
children,  five  of  whom  were  sons,,  and  eleven 
were  daughters.  His  grandfather,  William  Mil- 
ler, moved  from  West  Springfield,  Mass.,  about 
1747,  and  settled  on  the  place  in  Pittsfield,  now 
familiarly  known  as  the  Miller  farm.  His  father, 
William  Miller,  Avasborn  December  15, 1757,  and 
remained  on  the  farm  taken  up  by  his  father  un- 
til he  moved  to  Low  Hampton,  N.  Y.,  in  1786. 
At  the  time  of  this  removal  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  four  years  old.  His  biographer 
says : — 

"  In  his  early  childhood,  marks  of  more  than 
ordinary  intellectual  strength  and  activity  were 
manifested.  A  few  years  made  these  marks  more 
and  more  noticeable  to  all  who  fell  into  his  soci- 
ety. But  where  were  the  powers  of  the  inner 
man  to  find  the  nutriment  to  satisfy  their  crav- 
ings, and  the  field  for  their  exercise  ?  Besides 
the  natural  elements  of  education,  the  objects, 
the  scenes,  and  the  changes  of  the  natural  world, 
which  have  ever  furnished  to  all  truly  great 
minds  their  noblest  aliment,  the  inspiring  histor- 

(13) 


14  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

ical  recollections  associated  with  well-known  lo- 
calities of  the  neighboring  country,  and  the  soci- 
ety of  domestic  life,  there  was  nothing  within 
William's  reach  but  the  Bible,  the  psalter,  and 
prayer-book,  till  he  had  resided  at  Low  Hampton 
several  years." 

"  In  a  newly  settled  country,  the  public  means 
of  education  must  necessarily  be  very  limited. 
This  was  the  case,  at  the  time  here  referred  to, 
in  a  much  gi'eater  degree  than  it  usually  is  with 
the  new  settlements  of  the  present  day.  The 
school-house  was  not  erected  in  season  to  afford 
the  children  of  Low  Hampton  but  three  months' 
schooling  in  winter,  during  William's  school-boy 
days.  His  mother  taught  him  to  read,  so  that  he 
soon  mastered  the  few  books  belonging  to  the 
family  ;  and  this  prepared  him  to  enter  the  '  sen- 
ior class '  w^hen  the  district  school  opened.  But 
if  the  terms  were  short,  the  winter  nights  were 
long.  Pine  knots  could  be  made  to  supply  the 
want  of  candles,  lamps,  and  gas.  And  the  spacious 
fireplace  in  the  log  house  was  am}tle  enough  as  a 
substitute  for  the  school-house  and  lecture-room. 
But  even  the  enjoyment  of  these  literary  advan- 
tages subjected  the  zealous  student  to  a  somewhat 
severe  discipline." 

"As  soon  as  William's  age  and  strength  ren- 
dered him  able  to  assist  his  father  about  the  farm, 
it  was  feared  that  his  reading  by  night  might  in- 
terfere with  his  efficiency  in  the  work  of  the  day. 
His  father  insisted,  therefore,  that  he  should  re- 
tire to  bed  when  he  retired  himself.  But  the 
boy  could  not  be  kept  in  bed.  When  the  other 
members  of  the  family  were  all  a,sleep,  William 
would  leave  his  bed,  then  find  his  way  to  the 
pitch-wood,  go  to  the  fireplace,  cast  himself  down 


ANCESTRY    AND    EARLY    LIFE.  15 

flat  on  the  hearth,  with  his  book  before  him, 
thrust  his  pitch-wood  into  the  embers  till  it 
blazed  well,  and  there  spend  the  hours  of  mid- 
night in  reading.  If  the  blaze  grew  dim,  he 
would  hold  the  stick  in  the  embers  till  the  heat 
fried  the  pitch  out  of  the  wood,  which  renewed 
the  blaze.  And  when  he  had  read  as  long  as  he 
dared  to,  or  finished  his  book,  he  would  find  his 
way  back  to  bed  again,  with  as  little  noise  as 
possible." 

"  He  possessed  a  strong  physical  constitution, 
an  active  and  naturally  well-developed  intellect, 
and  an  irreproachable  moral  character.  He  had 
appropriated  to  his  use  and  amusement  the  small 
stock  of  literature  afforded  by  the  family,  while 
a  child.  He  had  enjoyed  the  limited  advantages 
of  the  district  school  but  a  few  years  before  it 
was  generally  admitted  that  his  attainments  ex- 
ceeded those  of  the  teachers  usually  employed. 
He  had  drunk  in  the  inspiration  of  the  natural 
world  around  him,  and  of  the  most  exciting 
events  in  his  country's  history.  His  imagination 
had  been  quickened,  and  his  heart  warmed,  by 
the  adventures  and  gallantries  of  fiction,  and  his 
intellect  enriched  by  history.  And  some  of  his 
earliest  eff*orts  with  the  pen,  as  well  as  the  testi- 
mony of  his  associates,  show  that  his  mind  and 
heart  were  ennobled  by  the  lessons,  if  not  by  the 
spirit  and  power  of  religion. 

"  What,  now,  would  have  been  the  effect  of 
what  is  called  a  regular  course  of  education  ? 
Would  it  have  perverted  him,  as  it  has  thousands  ? 
or  would  it  have  made  him  instrumental  of  great- 
er good  in  the  cause  of  God  ?  Would  it  have 
performed  its  appropriate  work,  that  of  disci- 
plining, enlarging,  and  furnishing  the  mind,  leav- 


16  LIFE   OF    MILLEK. 

ing  unimpaired  by  the  process  its  natural  energies, 
its  sense  of  self-dependence  as  to  man,  and  its 
sense  of  dependence  and  accountability  as  to 
God  ?  or  would  it  have  placed  him  in  the  crowd- 
ed ranks  of  those  who  are  content  to  share  in  the 
honor  of  repeating  the  twaddle,  true  or  false, 
which  passes  for  truth  in  the  school  or  sect 
which  has  '  made  them  what  they  are  '? 

"  We  think  it  would  have  been  difficult  to  per- 
vert him ;  but  where  so  many  who  have  been  re- 
garded as  highly  promising  have  been  marred  by 
the  operation,  he  would  have  been  in  great  dan- 
ger. He  might  have  become  externally  a  better 
subject  for  the  artist ;  but  we  doubt  if  he  would 
have  been  a  better  subject  to  be  used  as  an  in- 
strument of  Providence.  There  are  those  who 
survive  the  regular  course  uninjured.  There  are 
those  who  are  benefited  by  it  so  far  as  to  be 
raised  to  a  level  with  people  of  ordinary  capac- 
ity, which  they  never  could  attain  without  spe- 
cial aid.  And  there  is  a  third  class,  who  are  a 
stereotype  representation  of  wha^t  the  course 
makes  them ;  if  they  raise  a  fellow-man  out  of 
the  mire,  they  never  get  him  nearer  to  Heaven 
than  the  school  where  they  were  educated. 

"  Whatever  might  have  been  the  result  of  any 
established  course  of  education,  in  the  case  of 
William  Miller,  such  a  course  was  beyond  his 
reach ;  he  was  deprived  of  the  benefit,  he  has  es- 
caped the  perversion.  Let  us  be  satisfied.  But 
still  we  must  record  the  fact  that  it  would  have 
been  extremely  gratifying  if  something  of  the 
kind  could  have  been  placed  at  his  command. 
He  desired  it.  He  longed  for  it  with  an  intensity 
of  feeling  that  approached  to  agony.  He  pon- 
dered the  question  over  and  over,  whether  it  was 


ANCESTRY    AND    EARLY   LIFE,  17 

possible  to  accomplish  what  appeared  to  him  to 
be  not  only  a  desirable  gratification  and  honor, 
but  almost  essential  to  his  existence. 

"  It  should  be  noticed,  however,  that  his  cir- 
cumstances became  somewhat  relieved  as  he  ad- 
vanced in  years.  The  log  house  had  given  place 
to  a  comfortable  frame  house  ;  and,  in  this,  Will- 
iam had  a  room  he  was  permitted  to  call  his  own. 
He  had  means  to  provide  himself  with  a  new 
book,  occasionally,  and  with  candles  to  read  at 
night,  so  that  he  could  enjoy  his  chosen  luxury, 
during  his  leisure  hours,  in  comparative  comfort. 

"  It  was  on  one  of  these  times  of  leisure  that 
an  incident  occurred  which  marked  a  new  era  in 
his  history,  though  it  did  not  introduce  fully  such 
an  era  as  he  desired.  There  was  a  medical  gen- 
tleman in  the  vicinity  of  his  residence,  by  the 
name  of  Smith,  who  possessed  an  ample  fortune, 
and  was  known  to  be  very  liberal.  In  the  plans 
which  had  passed  through  the  mind  of  William, 
to  secure  the  means  of  maturing  his  education, 
he  had  thought  of  Dr.  Smith,  At  any  rate  it 
could  do  no  harm  to  apply  to  him.  The  plan 
was  carried  so  far  as  to  write  a  letter,  setting 
forth  to  that  gentleman  his  intense  desires,  his 
want  of  means  to  gratify  them,  his  hopes  and  his 
prospects,  if  successful. 

"  The  letter  was  nearly  ready  to  be  sent  to  its 
destination,  when  William's  father  entered  the 
room,  which  we  may  properly  call  his  son's  study. 
Perhaps  it  had  not  occurred  to  the  son  to  consult 
his  father  in  the  matter ;  and  to  have  it  come  to 
his  notice  in  so  unexpected  a  manner  somewhat 
disturbed  him  for  the  moment.  But  there  was 
the  letter  in  his  father's  presence.     He  took  it, 

Miller.  2 


18  LIFE   OP   MILLER, 

and  read  it.  It  affected  him  deeply.  For  the 
first  time,  he  seemed  to  feel  his  worldly  condition 
to  be  uncomfortable,  on  his  son's  account.  He 
wanted  to  be  rich  then,  for  the  gratification  of 
his  son,  more  than  for  any  other  human  being. 

"  There  were  the  irrepressible  yearnings  of  his 
first-born,  which  he  had  treated  in  their  childish 
development  as  an  annoyance,  now  spread  out  in 
manly  but  impassioned  pleadings  to  a  compara- 
tive stranger  to  affbrd  him  help  !  There  were 
plans  and  hopes  for  the  future,  marked  by  an  ex- 
hibition of  judgment  and  honor  that  could  not 
fail  of  commanding  attention !  All  that  was 
tender  in  that  father's  heart,  all  that  was  gener- 
ous in  the  soldier,  and  all  that  could  make  him 
ambitious  of  a  worthy  successor,  was  moved  by 
that  letter.  The  tears  fell,  and  words  of  sympa- 
thy were  spoken ;  but  the  plan  was  impossible. 

The  letter  of  William's  was  never  sent.  It 
had  the  efiect,  however,  of  changinfj  his  father's 
course  toward  him,  so  that  he  was  rather  en- 
couraged than  hindered  in  his  favorite  pur- 
suits. By  this  time,  the  natural  genius  and  at- 
tainments of  young  William  Miller  had  distin- 
guished him  among  his  associates.  To  the  young 
folks,  he  became  a  sort  of  scribbler-general.  If 
any  one  wanted  '  verses  made,'  a  letter  to  send, 
some  ornamental  and  symbolic  design  to  be  in- 
terpreted by  'the  tender  passion,'  or  anything 
which  required  extra  taste  and  fancy  in  the  use 
of  the  pen,  it  was  pretty  sure  to  be  planned,  if 
not  executed,  by  him.  Some  of  these  first-fruits 
of  his  genius  are  still  in  existence  ;  and,  although 
it  requires  no  critic  to  discover  that  he  had  never 
received  lessons  of  any  of  the  '  great  masters,' 
still  these  productions  would  compare  very  favor- 


MARRIAGE.  l9 

ably  with  similar  efforts  by  those  whose  advan- 
tages have  been  far  superior  to  his. 

"  The  facts  connected  with  the  early  life  of 
Mr.  Miller,  and  the  incidents  in  his  personal  his- 
tory, now  spread  before  the  readers  of  this  work, 
will  enable  them  to  see,  in  the  boy,  a  type  of  the 
future  man.  The  most  embairassing  circum- 
stances of  his  condition  could  not  master  his  per- 
severance. And  if  he  could  not  accomplish  all  he 
desired  to,  the  success  which  attended  his  efforts, 
in  spite  of  great  discouragements,  was  truly  sur- 
prising. The  position  he  had  won  opened  to  him 
a  fairer  prospect,  though  still  surrounded  with 
serious  dangers." 

William  Miller  was  happily  married  in  1803, 
and  settled  in  Poultney,  Vt.  His  biographer  con- 
tinues : — 

"  One  of  the  first  objects  of  his  interest,  after 
he  had  become  settled,  was  the  village  library. 
His  constant  use  of  its  volumes  brought  him  into 
the  society  of  a  superior  class  of  men.  His  wife 
took  a  deep  interest  in  his  improvement  and  pro- 
motion ;  and  made  it  her  pleasure  and  business 
to  relieve  him  as  much  as  possible  from  all  the 
family  cares  which  might  call  him  away  from  his 
books.  She  felt  very  sure  that  it  would  not  be 
lost  time  on  his  part,  or  lost  labor  on  her  own 
part.  Still,  the  time  he  could  devote  to  books, 
on  the  best  possible  arrangement,  was  not  so 
much  as  he  desired ;  for  he  had  been  trained  to 
the  farming  business,  and  he  made  that  his  em- 
ployment, for  some  years,  in  Poultney. 

"  One  effort  of  genius,  though  trifling  in  itself, 
which  attracted  toward  him  the  public  attention 
of  the  village  and  its  vicinity,  was  a  poetic  effu- 
sion, the  inspiration  of  his  patriotic  ardor.    Prep- 


20  LIFE   OP    MILLER. 

arations  were  going  on,  at  the  time,  for  the  pub- 
lic celebration  of  the  anniversary  of  our  national 
independence  ;  and  the  inspiration  of  that  mem- 
orable day  seized  Mr.  Miller  while  he  was  hoeing 
corn  in  the  field.  He  had  written  poetry  before  ; 
and  so,  after  the  labor  of  the  field  was  done,  he 
put  his  thoughts  into  a  written  form,  to  be 
adapted  to  the  familiar  old  tune,  called  '  Delight.' 
"The  appointed  marshal,  or  manager,  of  the 
services  of  the  day,  was  Esquire  Ashley,  who  was 
then  a  neighbor  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  afterward  be- 
came an  intimate  friend.  But  the  poet  of  the 
day,  as  he  became,  was  too  reserved  to  offer  his 
tribute,  though  tliere  is  reason  to  believe  it  would 
have  been  thankfully  accepted ;  for  the  business 
of  the  manager  hardly  afforded  him  time  to  write 
poetry  for  the  occasion,  if  he  had  the  ability,  or 
even  to  select  it.  Mr.  Miller  was  willing  to  have 
his  piece  seen  and  used  if  it  was  thought  to  be 
suitable,  but  he  could  not  announce  himself  as  its 
author.  So  he  took  the  manuscript  and  walked 
as  usvial  to  Esquire  Ashley's  house.  He  seated 
himself  leisurely  below  the  chamber  window, 
where  that  gentleman  was  making  his  prepara- 
tions for  the  great  celebration.  Then,  taking  an 
opportunity  to  place  it  near  where  Mrs.  Ashley 
was  at  work,  he  shortly  after  withdrew.  As  soon 
as  Mrs.  Ashley  discovered  the  paper,  she  took  it 
to  her  husband,  supposing  it  was  one  of  his  papers 
which  had  fallen  from  the  window.  He  took  it 
and  read  the  hymn;  it  struck  him  as  being  just 
what  was  wanted ;  but  he  knew  nothing  of  its 
origin.  It  was  carried  to  several  others,  who  were 
thought  of  as  its  author,  but  no  author  or  owner 
of  it  could  be  found.  '  Perhaps  an  angel  from 
Heaven  had  sent  it.'    So  they  talked  at  any  rate. 


PATRIOTIC   SENTIMENTS.  21 

"  However,  the  hymn  was  copied  with  the  pen, 
and  the  sheets  multiplied  to  su])ply  all  who 
wished  for  one.  The  day  came,  and  the  hymn 
was  sung  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  to  the 
favorite  old  tune,  '  Delight ' !  But  among  those 
who  distributed  the  copies,  there  was  a  worthy 
Baptist  minister,  by  the  name  of  Kendriek,  who 
had  taken  a  warm  interest  in  Mr.  Miller.  His 
suspicions  had  pointed  him  to  the  author  of  the 
piece ;  and  when  Mr.  Miller  came,  with  others,  to 
get  a  copy,  his  appearance  and  manner  confirmed 
Elder  Kendrick's  suspicions.  Further  inquiry 
brought  forth  a  confession  of  authorship.  To  use 
the  phrase  of  the  old  folks,  '  it  was  a  great  feather 
in  his  cap.'  He  had  touched  the  right  chord  in 
the  right  way.  The  pious  and  patriotic  emotions 
of  the  aged  were  revived ;  the  ardent  responses 
of  the  young  to  these  patriotic  emotions  found  ex- 
pression in  the  new  hymn ;  and  nothing  more 
was  needed  to  make  its  author  the  popular  fa- 
vorite. 

"It  is  not  known  that  an  entire  copy  of  the 
hymn  is  now  in  existence.  A  sister  of  its  author 
has  repeated  to  us  a  few  of  the  stanzas,  which 
we  give,  more  for  the  purpose  of  exhibiting  his 
religious  and  patriotic  sentiments  than  from  an 
expectation  that  our  readers  will  be  affected  as 
were  those  who  first  heard  it.  Its  style  and  meter 
were  strictly  in  accordance  with  the  standard 
contained  in  the  hymn  book  used  on  Sundays, 
doubtless  the  only  standard  the  writer  of  it  was 
familiar  with ;  and  the  effect  arose  from  the  nat- 
ural force  and  simplicity  of  the  versified  thoughts, 
and  the  perfect  ease  of  the  musical  execution. 
But  to  the  fragments  of  the  hymn ; — 


22  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

*  -x-  *  *  * 

"  '  Our  Independence  dear, 

Bought  with  the  price  of  blood, 
Let  us  receive  with  care, 
And  trust  our  Maker,  God. 
For  he's  the  tower 
To  which  we  fly  ; 
His  grace  is  nigh 
In  every  hour ! 

"  '  Nor  shall  Columbia's  sons 
Forget  the  price  it  cost, 
As  long  as  water  runs, 

Or  leaves  are  nipped  by  frost. 
Freedom  is  thine  ; 
Let  millions  rise. 
Defend  the  prize 
Through  rolling  time  ! 


"  '  There  was  a  Washington, 
A  man  of  noble  fame, 
"Who  led  Columbia's  sons 
To  battle  on  the  plain  ; 
With  skill  they  fought ; 
The  British  host, 
With  all  their  boast. 
Soon  came  to  nought ! 


"  '  Let  traitors  hide  their  heads, 
And  party  quarrels  cease  ; 
Our  foes  are  struck  with  dread, 
When  we  declare  for  peace. 
Firm  let  us  be, 
And  rally  round 
The  glorious  sound 
Of  liberty  ! ' 

"The  reader  will  see  that  the  piece  was  de- 
signed for  home  consumption.  It  was  exactly 
suited  to  the  occasion ;  and  was  marked  throucjh- 
out,  in  spirit,  style,  and  thought,  with  the  ele- 


PATRIOTIC   SENTIMENTS.  23 

ments  of  his  education.  And  tins  production, 
with  others  in  prose  and  poetry,  made  him  at 
once  a  notable  in  the  community  ;  secured  to  him 
a  wide  circle  of  friends,  and  opened  the  way  for 
his  promotion  to  office  and  honor.  The  old  men 
were  all  ready  to  give  him  a  lift,  almost  without 
distinction  of  '  party.'  The  young  folks  made  his 
house  a  place  of  common  resort,  to  which  they 
gathered  to  spend  their  leisure  hours ;  while  him- 
self and  wife  became  the  central  unit  which  drew 
them  together  and  kept  all  in  motion." 

"  In  his  political  sentiments,  he  was  decidedly 
democratic.  But  he  had  intelligence  enough  to 
see  that  the  practical  patriotism  of  men  did  not 
depend  so  much  on  the  party  name  they  took 
as  on  their  common  sense  and  integrity.  He 
knew  that  there  were  bad  men  enough  in  either 
party  to  ruin  the  country,  if  they  had  the  power 
to  do  it ;  and  good  men  enough  in  the  same  par- 
ties to  promote  the  public  prosperity  to  the  best 
of  their  ability.  His  position,  therefore,  was  taken 
in  view  of  the  tendency  of  different  political  prin- 
ciples and  public  measures,  in  their  ultimate  bear- 
ing on  the  established  institutions  of  the  country. 
He  enjoyed,  in  a  remarkable  degree,  the  confi- 
dence of  both  the  political  parties  of  the  day." 

"  In  the  case  of  most  men  of  the  world,  with 
the  avenues  to  honor,  wealth,  and  domestic  hap- 
piness wide  open  before  them,  it  is  not  often  that 
a  public  station  so  commanding  would  be  volun- 
tarily left  for  the  hardships,  privations,  and  dan- 
gers, of  the  camp.  What  strong  impulses  could 
have  turned  him  off  in  that  direction  ?  Already 
the  business  of  his  office  had  placed  him  in  easy 
circumstances.  Such  was  the  amount  of  his  bus- 
iness that  he  kept  two  horses,  one  of  which  he 


24  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

drove,  while  the  other  was  kept  up  to  rest,  week 
by  week,  alternately.  He  enjoyed  the  respect 
and  unbounded  confidence  of  the  public;  and  he 
only  needed  to  make  himself  still  as  worthy  of 
public  favor  as  he  had  been  hitherto,  and  then, 
with  life  and  health,  all  that  this  world  could  af- 
ford was  within  his  reach.  His  preference  for 
the  army,  so  far  as  we  know,  sprang  from  these 
two  motives :  First,  he  desired  to  participate  in 
the  glory  which  rested  on  the  memory  of  those 
he  held  the  most  dear,  in  the  history  of  his  coun- 
try and  of  his  family.  Second,  he  hoped  to  en- 
joy a  more  inviting  exhibition  of  human  nature 
in  the  scenes  of  military  life  than  experience  or 
books  had  afforded  in  civil  life. 

"  His  desire  for  something  noble  in  character 
was  greater  than  that  for  wealth  or  unsubstan- 
tial fame.  He  was  satisfied  with  the  trial  of 
what  was  around  him,  and  wished  to  try  a  new 
field.  This  is  stated  by  himself  in  his  published 
memoir :  '  In  the  meantime,  I  continued  my  stud- 
ies, storing  my  mind  with  historical  knowledge. 
The  more  I  read,  the  more  dreadfully  corrupt  did 
the  character  of  man  appear.  I  could  discern  no 
bright  spot  in  the  history  of  the  past.  Those 
conquerors  of  the  world,  and  heroes  of  history, 
were  apparently  but  demons  in  human  form.  All 
the  sorrow,  suffering,  and  misery  in  the  world, 
seemed  to  be  increased  in  proportion  to  the  pow- 
er they  obtained  over  their  fellows.  I  began  to 
feel  very  distrustful  of  all  men.  In  this  state  of 
mind,  I  entered  the  service  of  my  country.  I 
fondly  cherished  the  idea  that  I  should  find  one 
bright  spot  at  least  in  the  human  character,  as  a 
star  of  hope — a  love  of  country — Patriotism.' 

"  Happy,  indeed,  should  we  consider  ourselves 


DEISTICAL    SENTIMENTS.  25 

if  there  were  no  drawback  to  this  a})parent  pros- 
perity to  be  noted.  Rarely  is  it  the  case  that 
the  honor  of  God  and  the  honor  of  man  are  coin- 
cident. If  Mr.  Miller  was  not  puffed  up  by  the 
latter,  he  had  lost  much  of  his  regard  for  the 
former.  In  his  worldly  advancement,  there  was 
a  serious  and  dangerous  departure  from  the  Chris- 
tian sentiments  which  were  instilled  into  his 
mind  during  his  early  life.  Still  there  was  no 
defect  in  his  character  which  the  most  rigid 
worldly  standard  of  external  morality  could  de- 
tect. He  was  perfectly  upright  and  honorable 
in  all  his  dealings.  He  was  generous,  almost  to 
a  fault,  with  his  friends,  compassionate  and  lib- 
eral to  the  poor,  and  he  held  in  the  highest  con- 
tempt every  act  that  could  tarnish  a  man's  per- 
sonal and  private  honor.  He  was  not  profane, 
even  to  the  extent  that  too  many  are  who  pass 
for  gentlemen.  He  was  not  intemperate,  although 
he  was  very  much  exposed  to  this  ruinous  habit 
from  the  example  of  those  into  whose  company 
his  business  called  him — a  habit  which  had  bro- 
ken down  some  of  his  predecessors  in  office,  by 
rendering  them  incapable  of  attending  to  their 
business.  He  escaped  from  it  without  the  least 
stain. 

"  It  could  be  shown,  from  sentiments  embodied 
in  some  of  his  essays,  in  addresses  delivered  be- 
fore societies  existing  at  the  time,  and  in  his  po- 
etic effusions,  that  his  moral  and  religious  views 
were  of  a  t^^pe  that  would  pass  with  the  world 
as  philosophical,  pure,  and  sublime.  But  the 
men  with  whom  he  associated  from  the  time  of 
his  removal  to  Poultney,  and  to  whom  he  was 
considerably  indebted  for  his  worldly  favors, 
were   deeply  affected  with  skeptical  principles 


26  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

and  deistical  theories.  They  were  not  immoral 
men  ;  but,  as  a  class,  Avere  good  citizens,  and  gen- 
erally of  serious  deportment,  humane  and  benev- 
olent. However,  they  rejected  the  Bible  as  the 
standard  of  religious  truth,  and  endeavored  to 
make  its  rejection  plausible  by  such  aid  as  could 
be  obtained  from  the  writings  of  Voltaire,  Hume, 
Volney,  Paine,  Ethan  Allen,  and  others.  Mr. 
Miller  studied  these  works  closely,  and  at  length 
avowed  himself  a  deist.  As  he  has  stated  the 
period  of  his  deistical  life  to  have  been  twelve 
years,  that  period  must  have  begun  in  1804  ;  for 
he  embra-^ed  or  returned  to  the  Christian  faith 
in  1816.  It  may  fairly  be  doubted,  however, 
notwithstanding  his  known  thoroughness  and 
consistency,  whether  Mr.  Miller  ever  was  fully 
settled  in  that  form  of  deism  which  reduces  man 
to  a  level  with  the  brutes,  as  to  the  supposed 
duration  of  their  existence.  And  the  question  is 
worthy  of  a  little  inquiry.  To  what  extent  was 
he  a  deist  ? 

"  Robert  Hall,  with  his  usual  comprehensive- 
ness and  truth,  has  remarked  that  '  infidelity  is 
the  offspring  of  corrupt  Christianity.'  It  is 
much  more  successful  in  the  discovery  of  sup- 
posed arguments  against  the  existence  of  the 
Deity  of  the  Scriptures,  in  the  perversion  of  that 
which  is  divine,  than  in  its  institution  and  ap- 
pointed use.  Voltaire  chose  the  ruins  of  human 
nature,  in  their  most  perverted  and  blighted  con- 
dition, and  Volney  chose  the  '  ruins  '  of  human 
habitations,  for  the  theater  on  which  to  display 
their  mighty  but  evil  genius.  And  they  con- 
jured forth  the  same  evil  spirit  which  had  insti- 
gated or  caused  the  ruin,  in  each  case,  to  utter  a 
false  testimony,  in  reference  both  to  ruined  man 


DEISTICAL    SENTIMENTS.  27 

and  his  ruined  habitations.  These  men  became 
the  oracles  of  that  falsehood  to  the  world  !  But 
it  was  never  the  intention  of  God,  that  man,  or 
the  world  fitted  up  for  his  habitation,  should  1)6 
in  this  ruined  condition ;  it  is  the  work  of  rebell- 
ion and  sin  '—of  sin  against  the  greatest  displays 
of  love  and  goodness  that  were  possible,  and 
against  the  purest  and  most  reasonable  law  that 
could  be  given ;  of  rebellion  that  was  marked  by 
contempt  of  the  univei-sal  Sovereign,  and  of  au- 
thority enforced  by  the  lightest  test  of  submis- 
sion. And  God  has  spoken  to  us,  to  inform  us 
that  be  has  made  provision  for  the  restoration  of 
all  men,  and  that  it  is  his  purpose  to  restore  all 
who  become  interested  in  that  provision,  with 
the  world  now  in  ruins,  to  a  condition  which  no 
history  but  the  Bible  has  made  known. 

"  Paine  could  rail  and  belie  the  supernaturalism 
of  the  Bible,  like  an  incarnate  demon,  and  then 
indorse  all  the  supernaturalism  of  the  most  stupid 
pagan  mythology,  in  his  patriotic  and  poetic  pro- 
ductions, which  he  published  to  the  world.  And 
that  mind  must  be  strangely  out  of  balance  nat- 
urally, or  wretchedly  perverted,  which  could  bow 
to  the  authority  of  Volney's  '  specter,'  or  Paine's 
paganism, — the  pure  creations  of  fictions  and  su- 
perstition,— and  then  reject  the  Bible  because  it 
demands  faith  in  that  which  is  not  familiar  to 
the  senses. 

"  It  is  generally  true  that  those  who  become 
decided  skeptics  take  that  most  hopeless  position, 
because  they  have  become  so  depraved  or  per- 
verted that  they  feel  the  want  of  an  infidel  the- 
ory to  aff'ord  them  a  license  and  quiet,  in  their 
chosen  course.  It  was  not  so  with  Mr.  Miller. 
In  the  days  of  his  greatest  devotion  to  deistical 


28  LIFE    OF    MILLEK. 

sentiments,  he  desired  something  better.  He  had 
his  difficulties  with  tlie  Bible  under  its  current 
interpretations,  and  he  tells  us  what  these  diffi- 
culties were.  But  a  man  like  him  could  never 
be  made  to  believe  it  consistent  or  safe  to  aban- 
don tlie  Bible,  unless  something  more  worthy  of 
his  trust  were  first  put  in  its  place.  And  such  a 
condition  must  secure  to  that  matchless  book  a 
certain  and  permanent  supremacy.  This  was 
Mr.  Miller's  safety. 

"  But  if  the  poison  which  had  infused  its  taint 
into  the  system  did  not  appear  as  a  loathsome 
blotch  upon  the  surface,  its  victim  was  not  only 
kept  away  from  the  sole  remedy,  but  that  remedy 
was  treated  by  him  with  an  afflicting  and  danger- 
ous levity.  This  was  now  the  painful  feature  of 
his  case.  Once  it  was  not  so.  When  he  was  a 
mere  boy — '  between  the  years  of  seven  and  ten  ' 
— as  he  tells  us,  a  sense  of  the  plague  of  his  heart 
and  of  his  lost  condition  caused  the  deepest  con- 
cern in  reference  to  his  future  prospects.  He 
spent  much  time  in  trying  to  invent  some  plan 
whereby  he  might  find  acceptance  with  God. 
He  tried  the  common  and  most  natural  course, 
in  such  a  state  of  mind,  that  of  being  '  very  good.' 
'  I  will  do  nothing  wrong,  tell  no  lies,  and  obey 
my  parents,'  he  thought.  But  his  mind  was  still 
unsettled  and  unhap})y. 

"  Good  works  are  very  proper,  but  they  can 
never  be  accepted  as  the  })rice  of  pardon  and  re- 
demption. He  thought,  too,  as  all  do  in  the  same 
state  of  feeling,  that  something  might  be  effected 
by  sacrifice.  '  I  will  give  up  the  most  cherished 
objects  I  possess.'  But  this  also  failed.  There  is 
only  '  one  offering '  that  can  avail.  In  that,  ev- 
ery sinner  must  rest  his  hope  and  plea,  or  remain 


DEISTICAL   SENTIMENTS.  29 

without  peace  with  God.  The  experience  of  Mr. 
Miller's  childhood  made  him  thoughtful  and  se- 
rious, if  it  did  not  result  in  the  attainment  of  this 
inward  sense  of  peace.  Under  his  inward  con- 
flicts and  apprehensions  of  worldly  sorrow,  when 
a  young  man  (in  1803),  he  poured  out  his  soul  to 
'  religion '  in  this  touching  strain  : — 

"  '  Come,  blest  religion,  with  thy  angel's  face. 
Dispel  this  gloom,  and  brighten  all  the  place  ; 
Drive  this  destructive  passion  from  my  breast  ; 
Compose  my  sorrows,  and  restore  my  rest ; 
Show  me  the  path  that  Christian  heroes  ti'od, 
Wean  me  from  earth,  and  raise  my  sonl  to  God  ! ' 

" '  Two  things,'  says  D'Aubigne, '  are  essential  to 
sound  Christian  experience.  The  first  is  a  knowl- 
edge of  our  condition  as  sinners ;  the  second  is  a 
knowledge  of  the  grace  of  God,  in  its  manifesta- 
tions to  the  soul,'  Mr.  Miller,  like  most  if  not 
all  others,  had  learned  the  first  in  his  early  life ; 
but  he  had  evidently  not  then  attained  the  sec- 
ond of  these  elements  of  a  true  religious  life. 
And,  by  not  attaining  that  important  position  in 
the  process  of  deliverance  from  our  fallen  condi- 
tion, he  became  wearied  of  a  sense  of  his  need,  if 
he  did  not  lose  it  entirely.  In  the  chosen  em- 
ployment of  his  intellect,  with  a  more  ample  sup- 
ply of  books  at  command  ;  in  the  midst  of  an  ad- 
miring and  merry  social  circle ;  in  receiving  the 
honors  of  the  world  from  the  hand  of  his  supe- 
riors, and  in  reaping  an  honorable  portion  of  the 
treasures  of  the  world,  why  should  he  desire  any 
other  source  of  enjoyment — and  one  altogether 
unknown,  unappreciated  and  unpopular,  in  the 
circle  where  he  moved  ?  What  use  had  he  for 
that  religion  he  had  seen  verified  and  felt  the 


30  LIFE   OF   MiLLEK. 

need  of,  in  the  less  cultivated  family  circle  at 
Low  Hampton  ? 

"  If  those  who  never  become  acquainted  with 
the  lessons  of  truth  may  be  satisfied  without  the 
consolation  of  which  its  lessons  speak,  with  those 
who  are  made  familiar  with  these  lessons,  it  is 
generally  very  difi'erent.  They  can  seldom  feel 
satisfied  with  themselves  without  making  a  hearty 
surrender  of  life,  and  all  God  has  given  them,  to 
his  service.  As  they  know  this  is  their  reasona- 
ble service,  anything  short  of  this,  they  know, 
must  be  unreasonable.  But  how  few  take  this 
narrow  path  !  How  many  turn  away  to  join  the 
multitude !  The  talent,  however,  is  in  their 
hands.  They  must  dispose  of  that,  if  they  will 
not  submit  themselves  to  the  disposal  of  its  Giver. 
Some  make  it  the  reason  for  entertainins:  and 
venting  a  more  malignant  and  blasphemous  form 
of  hatred  against  everything  which  bears  the 
name  of  God.  This  quiets  all  fear  of  being  re- 
proached as  religious,  and  it  is  the  awful  snare 
into  which  many  are  lead  by  the  fear  of  man. 
Another  class  of  these  unfaithful  recipients  of  the 
talent  of  truth  try  to  get  along  with  a  popular 
external  expression  of  respect  for  its  claims ;  and 
thus  they  escape  the  dreaded  reproach. 

"  A  third  class,  naturally  too  frank  even  to  ap- 
pear to  venerate  what  they  do  not  heartily  re- 
spect, and  too  deeply  impressed  with  the  good- 
ness of  the  Deity  to  become  blasphemers,  but  still 
too  fearful  of  man  to  encounter  his  frown,  seek 
to  save  themselves  from  it  by  making  the  defects 
of  the  humble  but  unpopular  representatives  of 
truth  a  subject  of  merriment.  This  course  was 
taken  by  Mr.  Miller.  This  is  the  class  to  which 
he  then  belonged.     He  banished  from  his  memo- 


DEISTICAL   SENTIMENTS.  31 

ry  the  impressions  of  his  early  life,  and  must  si- 
lence all  fear  of  reproach  on  account  of  them ;  so 
he  gave  to  his  skeptical  associates  an  assurance 
that  he  had  mastered  his  superstition,  as  they 
deemed  it,  by  performing,  for  their  sport,  the  de- 
votions  of  the  worship  to  which  he  had  been  ac- 
customed, and  especially  by  mimicking  the  devo- 
tional peculiarities  of  some  of  his  own  family  rel- 
atives. 

"  Among  these  pious  relatives  there  were  two, 
in  particular,  whose  presence  or  names  were  cal- 
culated to  remind  him  of  his  repudiated  obliga- 
tions, and  whose  influence  over  him  he  labored 
to  repel,  by  making  them  the  theme  of  his  mirth. 
One  of  these  was  his  grandfather  Phelps,  pastor 
of  the  Baptist  church  at  Orwell ;  the  other  was 
his  uncle,  Elihu  Miller,  who  was  settled  as  the 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Low  Hampton, 
in  1812.  These  were  men  of  unpolished  exterior, 
but  of  decided  character,  strong  voice,  and  ardent 
devotion.  Men  whose  features  were  so  strongly 
marked  would  make  fine  subjects  for  striking 
portraits ;  and  if  all  their  traits  could  be  brought 
out,  there  would  be  found  a  large  bestowment  of 
the  treasure  of  heavenly  wisdom  and  virtue  in 
the  earthen  vessels.  It  was  the  excellence  of  the 
heavenly  traits,  and  the  roughness  of  the  earthly, 
which  made  them  so  desirable  and  so  ready  sub- 
jects of  caricature. 

"These  humble  ambassadors  of  Christ,  and 
other  pious  relatives,  often  visited  Mr.  Miller's 
house  at  Poultney;  and,  although  he  received 
them  with  affection  and  respect,  and  entertained 
them  in  the  most  generous  manner,  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  imitating,  with  the  most  ludicrous  gravi- 
ty, their  words,  tones  of  voice,  gestures,  fervency, 


32  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

and  even  the  grief  they  might  manifest  for  such 
as  himself,  to  afford  a  kind  of  entertainment  for 
his  skeptical  associates,  which  they  seemed  to  en- 
joy with  peculiar  relish. 

"  Little  did  he  then  think  that  he  was  meas- 
uring to  these  faithful  men  what  was  to  be  meas- 
ured to  him  again,  pressed  down,  shaken  together, 
and  running  over.  And  probably  it  was  not 
known  to  him  that  these  praying  men  had  al- 
ready expressed  the  hope— almost  a  prophecy — 
that  their  prayers  would  be  answered,  and  that 
he  would  some  day  be  engaged  in  perpetuating 
the  work  they  were  endeavoring  to  advance. 

"  There  was  more  than  one  heart  that  was  al- 
most inconsolably  afflicted  by  this  conduct  of  Mr, 
Miller.  His  mother  knew  of  it,  and  it  was  as  the 
bitterness  of  deatli  to  her.  Some  of  his  pious  sis- 
ters witnessed,  with  tears,  his  improprieties.  And 
when  his  mother  spoke  of  the  affliction  to  her  fa- 
ther Phelps,  he  would  console  her  by  saying, 
'  Do  n't  afflict  yourself  too  deeply  about  William. 
There  is  something  for  him  to  do  yet  in  the  cause 
ofGod!' 

"  Although  Mr.  Miller  avowed  himself  a  deist, 
and  was  recognized  as  such  by  deists,  this  offense 
against  all  propriety,  in  trifling  with  what  his 
dearest  relatives  regarded  as  most  sacred,  this 
thoucjhtless  trifling  with  the  humble  messengers 
of  the  gospel  was  the  darkest  feature  m  his  char- 
acter. To  him  it  was  the  most  natural  course 
which  the  circumstances  of  his  position  could 
suggest,  and,  undoubtedly,  appeared  to  be  the 
least  violation  of  former  convictions  and  educa- 
tional proprieties  which  would  allow  him  to  stand 
as  he  did,  in  the  favor  and  confidence  of  his  un- 
believing associates.     He  had  not  then  become 


MILITARY    LIFE.  33 

acquainted  with  the  Source  of  strength  by  which 
he  might  have  been  sustained  before  the  enemies 
of  the  Christian  faith ;  he  was  unprepared  to 
take  the  Christian  position,  and  he  became  what 
the  influence  around  him  naturally  determined. 
To  give  the  true  state  of  the  case,  the  darker 
shades  must  appear  with  the  lighter.  He  took 
the  position  of  an  unbeliever.  But  that  he  was 
not  a  deist  of  a  rank  type  will  appear  mere  ful- 
ly from  his  own  statements. 

"  We  have  thus  stated  Mr.  Miller's  social  and 
public  position,  his  worldly  prospects,  and  his 
religious  state.  The  longsuffering  of  God  was 
still  to  be  exercised  toward  him.  He  was  to  be- 
come satisfied  with  the  insufficiency  of  the  world. 
Then  the  light  which  had  become  darkness  was 
to  be  revived  within  him ;  the  breath  of  fife 
from  God  would  disclose  the  all-sufficient  portion, 
and  he  would  go  forth  to  build  again  the  faith  he 
had  destroyed. 

'  Many  were  the  prayers  that  ascended  in  his 
behalf;  and  some  of  those  who  were  the  most 
deeply  interested  for  him  would  pass  away  before 
their  prayers  would  be  answered.  But  the  great 
lessons  of  longsuffering,  of  faithfulness,  and  of 
the  power  to  deliver  out  of  the  most  artful  snare 
of  the  adversary,  would  be  the  more  magnified, 
on  the  part  of  God ;  the  praying,  who  were  yet 
alive,  would  hail  the  answer  with  greater  joy,  and 
the  delivered  one  would  be  the  better  prepared 
to  take  others,  in  the  same  fearful  condition,  by 
the  hand,  and  lead  them  to  Him  who  came  to 
seek  and  save  the  lost  I " 

William  Miller  received  a  captain's  commission 
and  entered  the  army  in  1812.     His  biographer 

WUler.  3 


34  LIFE    OF    MlLLEll. 

gives  more  than  thirty  pages  relative  to  his  mili- 
tary life,  in  which  those  whose  hearts  are  fired 
by  reading  of  victories  gained  by  the  use  of  car- 
nal weapons  can  see  much  to  admire  in  him  as  a 
patriotic  soldier.  But  as  our  principal  object 
is  to  bring  him  before  the  public  as  an  intelligent 
Bible  Christian,  a  bold  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  an  able  and  sound  expositor  of  the  word  of 
life,  we  pass  over  his  military  career,  giving  only 
one  incident,  which  will  be  of  interest  to  the 
Christian  reader. 

"  A  few  reflections  on  this  period  of  Mr.  Miller's 
life  and  the  mention  of  an  incident  or  two  of 
some  interest,  must  close  this  chapter.  Every- 
body is  familiar  with  the  fact  that  the  army  is  a 
bad  school  of  morality.  Intemperance,  licentious- 
ness, gambling,  fighting,  stealing,  profanity,  and 
Sabbath-breaking,  are  the  common  vices  of  army 
life.  It  was  the  constant  practice  of  these  vices 
by  those  around  him  which  sickened  Mr.  Miller 
of  their  society.  And  that  he  should  escape  en- 
tirely from  the  contamination  would  be  too 
much  to  expect.  However,  it  is  both  a  matter  of 
surprise,  and  highly  creditable  to  him,  that  his 
moral  integrity  and  habits  were  not  affected  to  a 
hopeless  extent.  There  were,  however,  some  re- 
deeming traits  to  the  too  generally  dark  moral 
picture  of  army  life.  There  were  a  few  men  in 
the  30th  regiment  of  infantry  who  were  known 
as  men  of  prayer  and  undoubted  piety.  And  an 
incident  in  their  history,  v/hich  Mr,  Miller  has 
often  spoken  of  with  great  interest,  should  be 
mentioned.  One  of  these  praying  men,  if  memory 
has  not  failed  in  the  case,  was  Sergeant  Willey. 

"  His  tent  v/as  occasionally  used  foi'  the  pur- 
pose of  holding  a  prayer-meeting.      On  one  of 


MILITARY    LIFE.  35 

these  occasions,  when  Mr.  Miller  was  '  the  officer 
for  the  day,'  he  saw  a  light  in  this  tent,  and,  wish- 
ing to  know  what  was  going  on,  as  his  duty  re- 
quired, he  drew  near,  and  heard  the  voice  of 
prayer.  He  said  nothing  at  the  time ;  but,  the 
next  day,  on  recollecting  it,  he  thought  it  was  a 
good  opportunity  to  try  the  sergeant's  piety,  and 
indulge  his  own  relish  for  a  joke,  by  calling  Ser- 
geant Willey  to  account  for  having  his  tent  occu- 
pied by  a  gambling  party  the  night  before.  When 
the  sergeant  appeared.  Captain  Miller  affected 
great  seriousness,  and  spoke  in  a  tone  bordering 
on  severity,  as  follows:  'You  know.  Sergeant 
Willey,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  army  regula- 
tions to  have  any  gambling  in  the  tents  at  night. 
And  I  was  very  sorry  to  see  your  tent  lit  up  for 
that  purpose  last  night.  We  cannot  have  any 
gambling  at  such  times.  You  must  put  a  stop  to 
it  at  once.  I  hope  I  shall  not  have  to  speak  to 
you  again  about  it ! ' 

"  The  poor  sergeant  stood  thunderstruck,  for  a 
moment,  to  hear  such  an  imputation  cast  on  him 
and  his  associates.  And  then,  liardly  daring  to 
look  up,  he  replied,  with  the  most  touching  sim- 
plicity, and  in  a  manner  which  showed  that  he 
was  alike  unwilling  to  suffer  the  scandal  of  en- 
tertaining gamblers,  or  to  make  a  parade  of  his 
devotions,  '  We  were  not  gambling,  sir  ! '  Cap- 
tain Miller  was  touched  with  his  appearance. 
But,  still  affecting  greater  severity  than  at  lirst, 
being  determined  to  press  him  to  a  confession,  he 
said  to  the  sergeant,  '  Yes,  you  Nvere  gambling ! 
And  it  won't  do !  What  else  could  you  have 
your  tent  lighted  up  for,  all  the  evening,  if  you 
were  not  gambling  ? ' 

"  Sergeant  Willey  now  felt  himself  under  the 


36  LIFE    OF    MILLEK. 

necessity  of  being  a  little  more  explicit,  and  an- 
swered, in  a  manner  deeply  expressive  of  his 
grief  and  innocence, '  We  were  praying,  sir.'  Cap- 
tain Miller,  by  this  time,  was  almost  in  tears ; 
and  indicating,  by  a  motion  of  his  hand,  that  he 
was  satisfied,  and  that  the  praying  sergeant  might 
withdraw,  he  continued  alone  for  some  time,  sensi- 
bly affected  by  the  courage  manifested  by  these 
Christians  in  that  ungodly  cam]^,  by  the  becom- 
ing deportment  of  their  representative  under  such 
a  serious  scandal,  and  by  the  doubtful  course  he 
had  taken  in  reference  to  them." 

"  One  fact  must  be  mentioned,  which  will  speak 
more  than  volumes  in  behalf  of  his  commanding 
integrity,  as  it  shows  the  place  he  occupied  in 
the  respect  and  confidence  of  the  soldiers.  After 
the  war,  two  members  of  his  company,  who  lived 
as  neighbors  in  the  extreme  northern  part  of 
Vermont,  had  some  business  difficulties,  which 
grew  to  be  so  serious  that  they  could  hardly  live 
together  as  neighbors  on  speaking  terms,  to  say 
the  least.  This  was  a  great  aftliction  to  them- 
selves, as  brother  soldiers,  to  their  families,  and  to 
the  whole  neighborhood.  These  men  had  often 
thought  of  their  former  captain,  though  they 
were  much  older  than  he  was,  and  wished  the 
difficulties  could  be  submitted  to  his  examination 
and  decision.  But  it  was  a  long  Vv^ay  to  his  resi- 
dence, and  the  time  and  cost  of  the  journey 
seemed  too  much  to  admit  of  such  an  arrange- 
ment. ITjwever,  the  matter  became  a  source  of 
so  much  trouble  that  the  proposition  was  made 
by  one,  and  gladly  accepted  by  the  other,  to  visit 
Captain  Miller ;  to  submit  the  case  to  him,  by 
telling  each  his  own  story,  and  to  abide  by  his 
decision.     The  long  journey  was  performed  by 


MILITAr.Y     LIFE. 


these  old  soldierrf  separately,  as  duelists  go  to  the 
place  of  single  combat.  They  arrived  at  Captain 
Miller's  nearly  at  the  same  time.  Arrangements 
were  made  for  a  hearing.  Each  told  his  story. 
The  decision  was  made  known,  after  all  the  facts 
of  the  case  had  been  duly  considered.  It  was 
received  in  good  faith  by  the  parties.  They  took 
each  other  cordially  by  the  hand,  spent  a  little 
time  with  their  captain,  and  returned  to  their 
homes  in  company,  as  friends  and  brothers. 

"  Paradoxical  as  it  may  appear,  some  of  the 
most  distinguished  and  honorable  soldiers  have 
been  the  most  successful  bloodless  peace-makers, 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  some  of  the  most  con- 
temptil^le  cowards,  with  peaceable  pretensions  al- 
ways on  their  lips,  have  distinguished  themselves 
by  very  little  besides  their  successful  contrivances 
to  keep  all  engaged  in  war  with  whom  they  have 
had  to  do.  Without  claiming  any  special  dis- 
tinction for  Mr.  Miller  on  the  score  of  what  are 
styled  brilliant  achievements  in  the  field  of  dan- 
ger, the  character  of  a  great  lover  of  peace  be- 
longed to  him  as  a  distinguishing  personal  trait. 
He  delighted  in  peace,  naturally  ;  it  is  not  known 
that  he  ever  intentionally  provoked  a  quarrel ; 
and  a  considerable  number  of  cases  could  be 
cited,  in  which  he  has  been  called  to  perform  the 
otiice  of  a  peace-maker,  and  in  the  duties  of 
which  he  has  been  remarkably  successful.  But 
enough.  More  must  be  left  unwritten  than  it 
would  be  practicable  or  necessary  to  write. 

"  The  watchful  Providence  which  guarded  him 
in  the  hour  of  deadly  peril ;  the  longsuffering 
which  spared  him  while  neglecting  the  talents 
bestowed,  or  misusing  them  in  rebellion  against 
the   Giver ;  and  that   wisdom  and  grace  which 


38  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

overruled  all  the  dangers  experienced,  and  the 
derelictions  practiced,  as  in  many  other  persons 
of  distinguished  usefulness,  demand  our  hearty 
adoration.  The  close  of  Mr.  Miller's  military  life 
was  to  be  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in  his 
history.  The  circumstances  which  preceded  that 
change,  the  means  and  instrumentalities  employed 
in  its  accomplishment,  and  the  practical  results 
which  immediately  followed  in  the  circle  of  his 
acquaintance,  must  be  left  to  another  chapter." 

The  following,  relative  to  Mr.  Miller's  connec- 
tion with  the  army,  we  take  from  his  "  Apology 
and  Defense,"  published  in  1845  : — 

"In  ]813,  I  received  a  captain's  commission 
in  the  U.  S.  service,  and  continued  in  the  army 
until  peace  was  declared.  While  there,  many 
occurrences  served  to  weaken  my  confidence  in 
the  correctness  of  deistical  principles.  I  was  led 
frequently  to  compare  this  country  to  that  of  the 
children  of  Israel,  before  whom  God  drove  out 
the  inhabitants  of  their  land.  It  seemed  to  me 
that  the  Supreme  Being  must  have  watched  over 
the  interests  of  this  country  in  an  especial  man- 
ner, and  delivered  us  from  the  hands  of  our  ene- 
mies. 

"I  was  particularly  impressed  with  tliis  view 
when  I  was  in  the  battle  of  Plattsburg,  when 
with  1,500  regulars,  and  about  4,000  volunteers, 
we  defeated  the  British,  who  were  15,000  strong; 
we  being  also  successful  at  the  same  time  in  an 
engagement  with  the  British  fleet  on  the  lake. 
At  the  commencement  of  the  battle,  we  looked 
upon  our  own  defeat  as  almost  certain,  and  yet 
we  were  victorious.  So  surprising  a  result  against 
such  odds  did  seem  to  me  like  the  work  of  a 
mightier  power  than  man." 


REMOVAL   TO    LOW   IIAMPTOX.  39 


CHAPTER    II. 

REMOVAL   TO    LOW  HAMPTON — HIS    CONVERSION — STl'DY  OF 
THE   BIBLE — RULES    OE   INTERPRETATION,  ETC. 

"  On  the  retirement  of  Mr.  Miller  from  the 
army,  lie  removed  his  family  from  Poultney,  Vt., 
to  Low  Hampton,  N,  Y.,  to  begin  there  the  oc- 
cupation of  farming.  His  father  had  died  there, 
in  the  year  1812,  leaving  the  homestead  encum- 
bered with  a  mortgage.  That  was  cancelled  by 
Mr.  Miller,  who  permitted  his  mother  to  live 
there  with  his  brother  Solomon,  while  he  pur- 
chased for  himself  another  farm,  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, about  half  a  mile  to  the  west.  This  lay 
mostly  above  the  general  level  of  the  valley 
of  the  Poultney  river,  and  comprised  about  two 
hundred  acres  of  land,  with  a  surface  somewhat 
uneven,  and  with  soil  similar  to  that  usually 
found  in  sections  geologically  marked  by  black 
slate  and  limestone.  Two  miles  to  the  east  was 
the  village  of  Fairhaven,  Vt.,  near  the  Poultney 
river ;  and  eight  miles  to  the  west,  on  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  Lake  Champlain,  at  the  foot  of 
bold,  precipitous  hills,  was  the  village  of  White- 
hall, N.  Y. 

"On  this  spot,  in  1815,  Mr.  Miller  erected  a 
convenient  farm-house,  similar  to  those  built 
throughout  the  interior  of  New  Engrland  at  that 
epoch.  It  was  of  wood,  two  stories  high,  with 
an  ell  projecting  in  the  rear.  The  front  and 
ends  were  painted  white,  with  green  blinds,  and 
the  back  side  was  red.  It  fronts  to  the  north. 
A  small  yard,  inclosed  by  a  picket  fence,  and  or- 
namented by  lilacs,  raspberry  and   rose-bushes, 


40  LIFE   OF   MILLEE. 

separates  it  from  the  public  road  leading  to  Fair- 
haven,  which  is  one  of  the  interesting  objects  in 
the  foreground  of  the  extended  view  to  the  east, 
as  seen  from  the  window  of  the  '  east  room,'  so 
full  of  tender  and  holy  recollections  to  all 
visitors. 

"  To  the  west  of  the  house,  a  few  rods  distant, 
is  a  beautiful  grove,  where,  in  later  times,  he  oft- 
en prayed  and  wept.  This  spot  was  selected  by 
the  political  party  to  which  Mr.  Miller  belonged, 
for  the  place  of  a  public  celebration  of  the  na- 
tional independence,  on  its  anniversary,  July  4, 
181G.  Mr.  Miller  was  selected  as  the  marshal  of 
the  day ;  but,  not  fancying  a  party  celebration, 
he  used  his  influence  so  that  all  persons,  irrespect- 
ive of  party,  were  invited  to  partake  of  its  fes- 
tivities. In  those  days  of  party  excitement  this 
was  considered  a  wonderful  stretch  of  charity. 

"Mr.  Miller's  grandfather  Phelps  was  in  the 
practice  of  preaching  at  the  house  of  Mr.  M.'s 
father,  when  he  made  his  occasional  visits.  There 
was  no  church  at  the  time  in  that  section  of  the 
town.  Through  his  labors  Mr.  Miller's  mother 
was  converted ;  and  a  little  church  was  there 
organized,  as  a  branch  of  the  Baptist  church  in 
Orwell,  Vt. 

"In  1812,  Elisha  Miller,  an  uncle  of  the  sub- 
ject of  this  memoir,  was  settled  over  the  church 
in  Low  Hampton,  and  a  small  meeting-house  was 
afterward  erected.  On  Mr.  Miller's  removal  to 
Low  Hampton,  he  became  a  constant  attendant, 
except  in  the  absence  of  the  preacher,  at  that 
place  of  worship,  and  contributed  liberally  to  its 
support.  His  relation  to  the  pastor,  and  the 
proximity  of  his  house,  caused  it  to  become  the 
head-quarters  of  the  denomination  on  extra  as 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  FUTURE.  41 

well  as  on  ordinary  occasions.  There  the  preach- 
ers from  a  distance  found  food  and  shelter;  and, 
though  fond  of  bantering  them  on  their  faith, 
and  making  their  opinions  a  subject  of  mirth 
with  his  infidel  friends,  they  always  found  a  home 
beneath  his  roof 

"  In  the  absence  of  the  pastor,  public  worship 
was  conducted  by  the  deacons,  who,  as  a  substi- 
tute for  the  sermon,  read  a  printed  discourse, 
usually  from  'Proud-foot's  Practical  Sermons.' 
Mr.  Miller's  mother  noticed  that,  on  such  occasions, 
he  was  not  in  his  seat,  and  she  remonstrated  with 
him.  He  excused  his  absence  on  the  ground  that 
he  was  not  edified  by  the  manner  in  which  the 
deacons  read ;  and  intimated  that  if  he  could  do 
the  reading,  he  should  always  be  present.  This 
being  suggested  to  those  grave  officials,  they  were 
pleased  with  the  idea ;  and,  after  that,  they  se- 
lected the  sermon  as  before,  but  Mr.  Miller  did 
the  readinor,  although  still  entertaining  deistical 
sentiments. 

"The  time  had  now  come  when  God,  by  his 
providence  and  grace,  was  about  to  interpose  to 
enlist  the  patriotic  soldier  in  another  kind  of  war- 
fare ;  when,  to  his  mind,  so  fond  of  those  depart- 
ments of  truth  which  appealed  only  to  reason 
and  sense,  was  to  be  opened  a  more  inspiring 
field;  when  the  persevering  and  delighted  stu- 
dent of  history  was  to  see  and  appreciate  the  con- 
nection between  the  most  stirring  scenes  and 
mightiest  revolutions  in  this  world's  affairs  and 
God's  great  plan  of  redemption,  to  which  all  the 
events  of  time  are  made  subordinate. 

"  Detecting  himself  in  an  irreverent  use  of  the 
name  of  God,  as  before  related,  he  was  convicted 
of   its   sinfulness,   and   retired   to  his   beautiful 


42  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

grove,  and  there,  in  meditation  on  the  works  of 
nature  and  Providence,  he  endeavored  to  pene- 
trate the  mystery  of  the  connection  between  the 
present  and  a  future  state  of  existence. 

"  As  a  farmer,  he  liad  had  more  leisure  for  read- 
ino; ;  and  he  was  at  an  age  when  the  future  of 
man's  existence  will  demand  a  portion  of  his 
thoughts.  He  found  that  his  former  views  gave 
him  no  assurance  of  happiness  beyond  the  present 
life.  Be3^ond  the  grave,  all  v/as  dark  and  gloomy. 
To  use  his  own  words  :  "  Annihilation  was  a  cold 
and  chilling  thought,  and  accountability  was  sure 
destruction  to  all.  The  heavens  were  as  brass 
over  my  head,  and  the  earth  as  iron  under  my 
feet.  Eternity  !—v'hat  was  it  ^  And  deatJi — 
wJiy  ivas  it  ?  The  more  I  reasoned,  the  further 
I  was  from  demonstration.  The  more  I  thought, 
the  more  scattered  were  my  conclusions.  I  tried 
to  stop  thinking,  but  my  thoughts  would  not  be 
controlled.  I  was  truly  wretched,  but  did  not 
understand  tJte  cause.  I  murmured  and  com- 
plained, but  knew  not  of  whom.  I  knew  that 
there  was  a  wrong,  but  knew  not  how  or  where 
to  find  the  right.  I  mourned,  but  without  hope." 
He  continued  in  this  state  of  mind  for  some 
months,  feeling  that  eternal  consequences  might 
hang  on  the  nature  and  object  of  his  belief. 

"  The  anniversary  of  the  battle  of  Plattsburg 
— Septemper  11 — was  celebrated  in  all  that  re- 
gion, for  some  years,  with  much  enthusiasm.  In 
1816,  arrangements  had  been  made  for  its  observ- 
ance, by  a  ball,  atFairhaven.  The  stirring  scenes 
of  the  late  campaign  being  thus  recalled,  Captain 
Miller  entered  into  the  preparations  for  the  ex- 
pected festivities  with  all  the  ardor  of  the  sol- 
dier.   In  the  midst  of  these,  it  was  announced  that 


THOUGHTS  OF  THE  FUTURE.  43 

Dr.  B.  would  preach  on  the  evening  previous  to 
the  ball.  In  the  general  gathering  to  that  meet- 
ing, Captain  Miller  and  his  help  attended,  more 
from  curiosity  than  from  other  actuating  cause. 

"  They  left  Captain  Miller's  house  in  high  glee. 
The  discourse  was  from  Zech.  2:4:'  Run  !  speak 
to  this  young  man  ! '  Tt  was  a  word  in  season. 
On  their  return,  Mrs.  M.,  who  had  remained  at 
home,  observed  a  wonderful  change  in  their  de- 
portment. Their  glee  was  gone,  and  all  were 
deeply  thouglitful,  and  not  disposed  to  converse 
in  reply  to  her  questions  respecting  the  meeting, 
the  ball,  &c.  They  were  entirely  incapacitated 
for  any  part  in  the  festive  arrangements.  Other 
managers  of  the  ball  were  equally  unfitted  for 
it ;  and  the  result  was  that  it  was  indefinitely 
postponed.  The  seriousness  extended  from  family 
to  family,  and  in  the  several  neighborhoods  in 
that  vicinity  meetings  for  prayer  and  praise 
took  the  place  of  mirth  and  the  dance. 

"On  the  Lord's  day  following,  it  devolved  on 
Captain  Miller,  as  usual  in  the  minister's  absence, 
to  read  a  discourse  of  the  deacons'  selection. 
They  had  chosen  one  on  the  Importance  of  Pa- 
rental Duties.  Soon  after  commencing,  he  was 
overpowered  by  the  inward  struggle  of  emotion, 
with  which  the  entire  congregation  deeply  sym- 
pathized, and  took  his  seat.  His  deistical  prin- 
ciples seemed  an  almost  insurmountable  difliculty 
with  him.  Soon  after,  '  suddenly,'  he  says, 
'  the  character  of  a  Saviour  was  vividly  impressed 
upon  my  mind.  It  seemed  that  there  might  be 
a  Being  so  good  and  compassionate  as  to  himself 
atone  for  our  transgressions,  and  thereby  save  us 
from  suffering  the  penalty  of  sin.  I  immediately 
felt  how  lovety  such  a  Being  must  be  ;  and  imag- 


44  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

ined  tliafc  I  could  cast  myself  into  the  amis  of, 
and  trust  in  the  mercy  of,  such  an  One.  But  the 
question  arose.  How  can  it  be  proved  that  such  a 
Being  does  exist  ?  Aside  from  the  Bible,  I 
found  that  I  could  get  no  evidence  of  the  exist- 
ence of  such  a  Saviour,  or  even  of  a  future  state. 
I  felt  that  to  believe  in  such  a  Saviour  without 
evidence  would  be  visionary  in  the  extreme. 

"  '  I  saw  that  the  Bible  did  bring  to  view  just 
such  a  Saviour  as  I  needed ;  and  I  was  perplexed 
to  find  how  an  uninspired  book  should  develop 
principles  so  perfectly  adapted  to  the  wants  of  a 
fallen  world.  I  was  constrained  to  admit  that 
the  Scriptures  must  be  a  revelation  from  God. 
They  became  my  delight ;  and  in  Jesus  I  found  a 
friend.  The  Saviour  became  to  me  the  chiefest 
among  ten  thousand  ;  and  the  Scriptures,  which 
before  were  dark  and  contradictory,  now  became 
the  lamp  to  my  feet  and  light  to  my  path.  My 
mind  became  settled  and  satisfied.  I  found  the 
Lord  God  to  be  a  Bock  in  the  midst  of  the  ocean 
of  life.  The  Bible  now  became  my  chief  study, 
and  I  can  truly  say,  I  searched  it  with  great  de- 
light. I  found  the  half  was  never  told  me.  I 
wondered  why  I  had  not  seen  its  beauty  and 
glory  before,  and  marveled  that  I  could  have  ever 
rejected  it.  I  found  everything  revealed  that  my 
heart  could  desire,  and  a  remedy  for  every  disease 
of  the  soul.  I  lost  all  taste  for  other  reading, 
and  applied  my  heart  to  get  wisdom  from  God.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  immediately  erected  the  family  al- 
tar ;  publicly  professed  his  faith  in  that  religion 
which  had  been  food  for  his  mirth,  by  connecting 
himself  with  the  little  church  that  he  had  de- 
spised ;  opened  his  house  for  meetings  of  prayer  ; 
and  become  an  ornament  and  pillar  in  the  church, 


HIS  coNVEiisiON.  45 

and  an  aid  to  both  pastor  and  people.  The  die 
was  cast,  and  he  had  taken  his  stand  for  life  as  a 
soldier  of  the  cross,  as  all  who  knew  him  felt  as- 
sured ;  and  henceforth  the  badge  of  discipleship, 
in  the  church  or  world,  in  his  family  or  closet,  in- 
dicated whose  he  was  and  whom  he  served. 

"  His  pious  relations  had  witnessed  with  pain 
his  former  irreligious  opinions  ;  how  great  were 
their  rejoicings  now !  The  church,  favored  with  his 
liberality,  and  edified  by  his  reading,  but  pained 
by  his  attacks  on  their  faith,  could  now  rejoice 
with  the  rejoicing.  His  infidel  friends  regarded 
his  departure  fi'om  them  as  the  loss  of  a  stand- 
ard-bearer. And  the  new  convert  felt  that  hence- 
forth, wherever  he  was,  he  must  deport  himself 
as  a  Christian,  and  perform  his  whole  duty.  His 
subsequent  history  must  show  how  well  this  was 
done, 

"  To  the  church,  his  devotion  of  himself  to  his 
Master's  service  was  as  welcome  as  his  labors 
were  efficient.  The  opposite  party,  especially 
the  more  gifted  of  them,  regarded  him  as  a  pow- 
erful, and,  therefore,  a  desirable,  antagonist.  He 
knew  the  strength  of  both  parties.  That  of  the 
former  he  had  often  tested,  when,  in  his  attacks, 
though  they  might  have  been  silenced,  he  had 
felt  that  he  had  a  bad  cause ;  and  the  v/eakness 
of  the  latter  liad  been  forcibly  impressed  on  him 
in  his  fruitless  efforts  to  assure  himself  that  they 
were  right.  He  knew  all  their  weak  points,  and 
where  their  weapons  could  be  turned  against 
them.  They  were  not  disposed  to  yield  the 
ground  without  a  struggle,  and  began  their  at- 
tack on  him  l)y  using  the  weapons  and  assailing 
the  points  which  characterized  his  own  former 
attacks  on  Christianity ;  and  to  this  fact,  under 


46  LIFE    OP    MILLEK. 

God,  is  probably  owing  his  subsequent  world- 
wide notoriety. 

"  He  had  taunted  his  friends  with  entertaining 
'a  blind  faith  '  in  the  Bible,  containing,  as  it  did, 
many  things  which  they  confessed  their  inability 
to  explain.  He  had  enjoyed  putting  perplexing 
questions  to  clergymen  and  others — triumphing 
in  their  unsatisfactory  replies.  These  questions 
had  not  been  forgotten  ;  and  his  Christian  friends, 
also,  turned  his  former  taunts  upon  himself. 

"  Soon  after  his  renunciation  of  deism,  in  con- 
versing with  a  friend  respecting  the  hope  of  a 
glorious  eternity  through  the  merits  and  inter- 
cessions of  Christ,  he  was  asked  how  he  knew 
there  was  such  a  Saviour.  He  replied,  '  It  is  re- 
vealed in  the  Bible.'  '  How  do  you  know  the 
Bible  is  true  ? '  was  the  response,  with  a  reitera- 
tion of  his  former  arguments  on  the  contradic- 
tions and  mysticisms  in  which  he  had  claimed  it 
was  shrouded. 

"  Mr,  Miller  felt  such  taunts  in  their  full  force. 
He  was  at  first  perjilexed  ;  but,  on  reflection,  he 
considered  that  if  the  Bible  is  a  revelation  of 
God,  it  must  be  consistent  with  itself ;  all  its 
parts  must  harmonize,  must  have  been  given  for 
man's  instruction,  and,  consequently,  must  be 
adapted  to  his  understanding.  He,  therefore, 
said,  '  Give  me  time,  and  I  wall  harmonize  all 
these  apparent  contradictions  to  my  own  satis- 
faction, or  I  will  be  a  deist  still.' 

"He  then  devoted  himself  to  the  prayerful 
reading  of  the  word.  He  laid  aside  all  commen- 
taries, and  used  the  margina,l  references  and  his 
concordance  as  his  only  helps.  He  saw  that  he 
must  distinguish  between  the  Bible  and  all  the 
peculiar  and  j^artisan  interpretations  of  it.     The 


STUDY    OF    THE    SCRIPTURES.  47 

Bible  was  older  than  them  all,  must  be  above 
them  all ;  and  he  placed  it  there.  He  saw  that 
it  must  correct  all  interpretations  ;  and  in  cor- 
recting them,  its  own  pure  light  would  shine 
without  the  mists  which  traditionary  belief  had 
involved  it  in.  He  resolved  to  lay  aside  all  pre- 
conceived opinions,  and  to  receive,  with  child-like 
simplicity,  the  natural  and  obvious  meaning  of 
Scripture. 

"He  pursued  the  sturl}^  of  the  Bible  with  the 
most  intense  interest — whole  nights,  as  well  as 
days,  being  devoted  to  that  object.  At  times, 
delighted  with  truth  which  shone  forth  from  the 
sacred  volume,  making  clear  to  his  understanding 
the  great  plan  of  God  for  the  redemption  of  fall- 
en man  ;  and  at  times  puzzled  and  almost  dis- 
tracted by  seemingly  inexplicable  or  contradic- 
tory passages,  he  persevered,  until  the  applica- 
tion of  his  great  principle  of  interpretation  was 
triumphant.  He  became  puzzled  only  to  be  de- 
lighted, and  delighted  only  to  persevere  the  more 
in  penetrating  its  beauties  and  mysteries.  His 
manner  of  studying  the  Bible  is  thus  described 
by  himself: — 

" '  I  determined  to  lay  aside  all  my  preposses- 
sions, to  thoroughly  compare  scripture  with 
scripture,  and  to  pursue  its  study  in  a  regular 
and  methodical  manner.  I  commenced  w^ith 
Genesis,  and  read  verse  by  verse,  proceeding  no 
faster  than  the  meaning  of  the  several  ])assages 
should  be  so  unfolded  as  to  leave  me  free  from 
embarrassment  respecting  any  mysticism.s  or  con- 
tradictions. Whenever  1  found  anything  obscure, 
my  practice  was  to  compare  it  with  all  collateral 
passages  ;  and,  by  the  help  of  Gruden,  I  exam- 
ined all  the  texts  of  Scripture  in  which   were 


48  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

found  any  of  the  prominent  words  contained  in 
any  obscure  portion.  Then,  by  letting  every 
^Yord  have  its  proper  bearing  on  the  subject  of 
the  text,  if  my  view  of  it  harmonized  with  every 
collateral  passage  in  the  Bible,  it  ceased  to  be  a 
difficult}''. 

"  In  this  way  I  pursued  the  study  of  the  Bi- 
ble, in  my  first  perusal  of  it,  for  about  two  years, 
and  was  fully  satisfied  that  it  is  its  own  interpre- 
ter. I  found  that,  by  a  comparison  of  Scripture 
with  histor}^,  all  the  prophecies,  as  far  as  they 
had  been  fulfilled,  had  been  fulfilled  literally ; 
that  all  the  various  figures,  metaphors,  parables, 
similtudes,  fcc,  of  the  Bible,  were  either  ex- 
plained in  their  immediate  connection,  or  the 
terms  in  which  they  were  expressed  were  defined 
in  other  portions  of  the  word ;  and,  when  thus 
explained,  are  to  be  literally  understood  in  ac- 
cordance with  such  explanation.  I  was  thus  sat- 
isfied that  the  Bible  is  a  system  of  revealed 
truths,  so  clearly  and  simply  given  that  the 
'  wayfaring  man,  though  a  fool,  need  not  err 
therein.'  In  thus  continuing  the  study,  he  adopt- 
ed the  following 

"RULES    OF    INTERPRETATION. 

"  1.  Every  word  must  have  its  proper  bearing 
on  the  subject  presented  in  the  Bible.  Proof, 
Matt.  5  :  18. 

"  2.  All  Scripture  is  necessary,  and  may  be  un- 
derstood by  a  diligent  application  and  study. 
Proof,  2  Tim.  3  :  15-17. 

"  3.  Nothing  revealed  in  Scripture  can  or  will 
be  hid  from  those  who  ask  in  faith,  not  wavei'ing. 
Proof   Deut.  29:29;    Matt.  10:26,  27;    1  Cor. 


RULES    OF    INTERPRETATION.  49 

2:10;  Phil.  3:15;  Isa.  45:11;  Matt.  21:22; 
John  14  :  13,  14  :  15  ;  7;  James  1 :  5,  (5 ;  1  Jolin 
5:13-15. 

"  4.  To  understand  doctrine,  bring  all  the 
Scriptures  together  on  the  subject  you  wish  to 
know ;  then  let  every  word  have  its  proper  in- 
fluence ;  and,  if  you  can  form  your  theory  witli- 
out  a  contradiction,  you  cannot  be  in  error. 
Proof,  Isa.  28  : 7-29  ;  35  :  8  ;  Pro  v.  19  :  27  ;  Luke 
24:27,  44,  45;  Rom.  16:20;  James  5:19;  2 
Pet.  1  :  19,  20. 

"  5.  Scripture  must  be  its  own  expositor,  since 
it  is  a  rule  of  itself.  If  I  depend  on  a  teacher  to 
expound  to  me,  and  he  should  guess  at  its  mean- 
ing, or  desire  to  have  it  so  on  account  of  his  sec- 
tarian creed,  or  to  be  thought  wise,  then  his 
guessing,  desire,  creed,  or  wisdom,  is  my  rule,  and 
not  the  Bible.  Proof,  Ps.  19:7-11;  119:97- 
105  :  Matt.  23  :  8-10  ;  1  Cor.  2  :  12-lG  ;  Eze.  34  : 
18,  19  ;  Luke  11 :  52  ;  Matt.  2  :  7,  8. 

"  0.  God  has  revealed  things  to  come,  by  vis- 
ions, in  figures  and  parables  ;  and  in  this  way  the 
same  things  are  oftentimes  revealed  again  and 
again,  by  different  visions,  or  in  different  figures 
and  parables.  If  you  wish  to  understand  them, 
you  must  combine  them  all  in  one.  Proof,  Ps. 
89:19;  Hos.  12:10;  Hab.  2:2;  Acts  2:17;  1 
Cor.  10:0;  Heb.  9  :  9,  24 ;  Ps.  78  :  2  ;  Matt.  13  : 
13,  34 ;  Gen.  41  : 1-32  ;  Dan.  2d,  7th  Sz  8th  ; 
Acts  10  :  9-16. 

"7.  Visions  are  alwavs  mentioned  as  such.  2 
Cor.  12:1. 

'•'  8.  Figures  always  have  a  figurative  meaning, 
and  are  used  much  in  prophecy  to  represent  fu- 
ture things,  times  and  events — such  as  mountains, 

Miller.  4 


50  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

meaning  governments;  Dan.  2:35,  44;  beasts, 
meaning  kingdoms ;  Dan.  7  : 8, 17  ;  waters,  mean- 
ing people ;  Rev.  17  : 1,  15  ;  clay,  meaning  year, 
&c.     Eze.  4  :  6. 

"  9.  Parables  are  used  as  comparisons  to  illus- 
trate subjects,  and  must  be  explained  in  the 
same  way  as  figures,  by  the  subject  and  Bible. 
Mark  4  :  13. 

"  10.  Figures  sometimes  have  two  or  more  dif- 
ferent significations,  as  day  is  used  in  a  figurative 
sense  to  represent  three  different  periods  of  time, 
namely,  first,  indefinite ;  Eccl.  7:14;  second, 
defiaite,  a  day  for  a  year ;  Eze.  4:6;  and  third, 
a  day  for  a  thousand  years.  2  Pet.  3  : 8.  The 
right  construction  will  harmonize  with  the  Bible, 
and  make  good  sense ;  other  constructions  will 
not. 

"11.  If  a  word  makes  good  sense  as  it  stands, 
and  does  no  violence  to  the  simple  laws  of  nat- 
ure, it  is  to  be  understood  literally ;  if  not,  fig- 
uratively.    Rev.  12  : 1,  2  ;  17  :  3-7. 

"  12.  To  learn  the  meaning  of  a  figure,  trace 
the  word  through  your  Bible,  and  when  you  find 
it  explained,  substitute  the  explanation  for  the 
word  used  ;  and,  if  it  make  good  sense,  you  need 
not  look  further ;  if  not,  look  again. 

"  13.  To  know  whether  we  have  the  true  his- 
torical event  for  the  fulfillment  of  a  prophecy : 
If  you  find  every  word  of  the  prophecy  (after 
the  figures  are  understood)  is  literally  fulfilled, 
then  you  may  know  that  your  history  is  tlie  true 
event ;  but  if  one  word  lacks  a  fulfillment,  then 
you  must  look  for  another  event,  or  wait  its  fu- 
ture development ;  for  God  takes  care  that  his- 
tory and  prophecy  shall  agree,  so  that  the  true 
believing  children  of  God  may  never  be  ashamed. 


RULES    OF   INTERPRETATION.  51 

Ps.  22  :  5  ;  Isa.  45  :  17-10;  1  Pet.  2:6;  Rev.  17  : 
17;  Acts  3: 18. 

"  14.  The  most  important  rule  of  all  is,  that 
you  must  have  faith.  It  must  be  a  faith  that 
requires  a  sacrifice,  and,  if  tried,  would  give  up 
the  dearest  object  on  earth,  the  vv^orld  and  all  its 
desires — character,  living,  occupation,  friends, 
home,  comforts  and  worldly  honors.  If  any  of 
these  should  hinder  our  believing  any  part  of 
God's  word,  it  would  show  our  faith  to  be  vain. 
Nor  can  we  ever  believe  so  long  as  one  of  these 
motives  lies  lurking  in  our  hearts.  We  must  be- 
lieve that  God  will  never  forfeit  his  word ;  and 
we  can  have  confidence  that  He  who  takes  no- 
tice of  the  sparrow's  fall,  and  numbers  the  hairs 
of  our  head,  will  guard  the  translation  of  his 
own  word,  and  throw  a  barrier  around  it,  and 
prevent  those  who  sincerely  trust  in  God,  and 
put  implicit  confidence  in  his  word,  from  erring 
far  from  the  truth. 

" '  While  thus  studying  the  Sciiptures,' — con- 
tinuing the  words  of  his  own  narrative, — '  I  be- 
came satisfied,  if  the  prophecies  which  have  been 
fulfilled  in  the  past  are  any  criterion  by  which  to 
judge  of  the  manner  of  the  fulfillment  of  those 
which  are  future,  that  the  popular  views  of  the 
spiritual  reign  of  Christ — a  temporal  millennium 
before  the  end  of  the  world,  and  the  Jews'  return 
— are  not  sustained  by  the  word  of  God ;  for  I 
found  that  all  the  Scriptures  on  which  those 
favorite  theories  are  based  are  as  clearly  ex- 
pressed as  are  those  that  were  literally  fulfilled 
at  the  first  advent,  or  at  any  other  period  in  the 
past. 

" '  I  found  it  plainly  taught  in  the  Scriptures 
that  Jesus  Christ  will  again  descend  to  this  earth, 


52  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven,  in  all  the  glory 
of  his  Father  :*  that,  at  his  coming,  the  kingdom 
and  dominion  under  the  whole  heaven  will  be 
given  unto  Him  and  the  saints  of  the  Most  High, 
who  will  possess  it  forever,  even  forever  and  ev- 
er :-|-  that,  as  the  old  world  perished  by  the  del- 
uge, so  the  earth,  that  now  is,  is  reserved  unto 
fire,  to  be  melted  with  fervent  heat  at  Christ's 
coming ;  after  which,  according  to  the  promise, 
it  is  to  become  the  new  earth,  wherein  the  right- 
eous will  forever  dwell  :|  that,  at  his  coming,  the 
bodies  of  all  the  righteous  dead  will  be  raised, 
and  all  the  ritrhteous  livincr  be  chanwd  from  a 
corruptible  to  an  incorruptible,  from  a  mortal  to 
an  immortal  state  ;  that  they  will  be  caught  up 
together  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  will 
reign  with  him  forever  in  the  regenerated  earth. § 
"  The  controversy  with  Zion  will  then  be  fin- 
ished, her  children  be  delivered  from  bondage, 
and  from  the  power  of  the  tempter,  and  the 
saints  be  all  presented  to  God  blameless,  without 
spot  or  wrinkle,  in  love  ;  ||  that  the  bodies  of  the 
wicked  will  then  be  all  destroyed,  and  their 
spirits  be  reserved  in  prison  IT  until  their  resur- 


*  See  John  14  :  3  ;  Acts.  1:11;  1  Tliess.  4  :  Ifi  ;  Rev.  1:7; 
Matt.  16  :  27  ;  24 :  30  ;  Mark.  8  :  SS ;  13  :  26  ;  Dan.  7  :  13. 

t  Dan.  7  :  14,  18,  22,  27  ;  Matt.  25  :34  ;  Lnke  12  :  32;  10  :12, 
15;  22:29;  1  Cor.  9:25;  2  Tim.  4:1,8;  James  1  :  12  ;  1  Pet. 
5:4. 

X  2  Pet.  3  :  7-10 ;  Isa.  65  :  17-19  ;  Rev.  21  :  22. 

§  1  Cor.  15  :  20,  23,  49,  51-53;  Phil.  3  :  20,  21 ;  1  Thess.  4  :  14-17  ; 

1  John  3  :2. 

II  Isa.  34  :  8 ;  40  :  2,  5 ;  41  :  10-12  ;  Rom.  8  :  21-23  ;  1  Cor.  1  :  7,  8  ; 
4  :  14 ;  15  :  54,  50  ;  Eph.  5  :  27  ;    Col.  1  :  22 ;  1  Thess.  3:13;    Heb. 

2  :  13-15  ;  Jude  24  ;  Rev.  20:  1-6. 

^  It  will  be  seen  that  Wm.  ^liller  held  the  doctrine  of  conscious- 
ness in  death,  which  most  of  the   Adventists  have  renounced. 

J.  w. 


TEACHINGS    OF    TROPHECY.  53 

rection  and  damnation ;  *  and  that,  when  the 
earth  is  thus  regenerated,  and  the  rigliteous 
raised,  and  the  wicked  destroyed,  the  kingdom 
of  God  will  have  come,  when  his  will  will  be 
done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  Heaven ;  that  the  meek 
will  inherit  it,  and  the  kingdom  become  the 
saint's,  i* 

"  I  found  that  the  only  millennium  taught  in 
the  word  of  God  is  the  thousand  years  which 
are  to  intervene  between  the  first  resurrection 
and  that  of  the  rest  of  the  dead,  as  inculcated 
in  the  twentieth  of  Revelation  ;  and  that  it  must 
necessarily  follow  the  personal  coming  of  Christ 
and  the  regeneration  of  the  earth,  j  that,  till 
Christ's  coming,  and  the  end  of  the  world,  the 
righteous  and  wicked  are  to  continue  together  on 
the  earth,  and  that  the  horn  of  the  papacy  is  to 
war  against  the  saints  until  his  appearing  and 
kingdom,  when  it  will  be  destroyed  by  the 
brightness  of  Christ's  coming ;  so  that  there  can  be 
no  conversion  of  the  world  before  the  advent ;  vl^ 
and  that  as  the  new  earth,  wherein  dwelleth 
righteousness,  is  located  by  Peter  after  the  con- 
flagration, and  is  declared  by  him  to  be  the  same 
for  which  we  look,  according  to  the  promise  of 
Isa.  65;  17. 

"  This  is  the  same  that  John  saw  in  vision  aft- 
er the  passing  away  of  the  former  heavens  and 
earth ;  it  must  necessarily  follow  that  the  various 

*  Ps.  50:3;  97  :3;  Isa.  60:  15,  16;  24  :21,  22;  Dan.  7  :  10  ;  Mai. 
4:1;  Matt.  8  :  12 ;  John  25  :  29  ;  Acts  24  :  15 ;  1  Cor.  3  :  13 ;  1  Thess. 
5  :2,  3  ;  2  Thess.  1  : 7-9  ;  1  Peter  1  :7  ;  2  Peter  3:7,  10;  Jude  6, 
7,  14,  15;  Rev.  20  :3,  13-15. 

t  Ps.  37  :  9-11,  22,  28,  29,  34 ;  Prov.  2 :  21,  22  ;  10  :  30  ;  Isa.  40  ; 
21;  Matt.  5  :5;  6  :10. 

t  Rev.  20  : 2-7. 

g  Matt.  13:37-43  ;  24:14;  Dan.  7  :  21,  22;  2  Thess.  2:8. 


54  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

portions  of  Scripture  that  refer  to  the  millennial 
state  must  have  their  fulfillment  after  the  resur- 
rection of  all  the  saints  that  sleep  in  Jesus.  *  I 
also  found  that  the  promises  respecting  Israel's 
restoration  are  applied  by  the  apostle  to  all  who 
are  Christ's — the  putting  on  of  Christ  constituting 
them  Abraham's  seed  and  heirs  according  to  the 
promise,  "f 

"  I  "was  then  satisfied,  as  I  saw  conclusive  evi- 
dence to  prove  the  advent  personal  and  pre-mil- 
lennial,  that  all  the  events  for  which  the  church 
look  to  be  fulfilled  [in  the  millennium]  before 
the  advent,  must  be  subsequent  to  it ;  and  that, 
unless  there  were  other  unfulfilled  prophecies,  the 
advent  of  the  Lord,  instead  of  being  looked  for 
only  in  the  distant  future,  might  be  a  contin- 
ually-expected event.  In  examining  the  proph- 
ecies on  that  point,  I  found  that  only  four  uni- 
versal monarchies  are  any  whei'e  predicted,  in  the 
Bible,  to  precede  the  setting  up  of  God's  everlast- 
ing kingdom ;  that  three  of  those  had  passed 
away — Babylon,  Medo-Persia,  and  Grecia — and 
that  the  fourth — Rome — had  already  passed  into 
its  last  state,  the  state  in  which  it  is  to  be  when 
the  stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without  hands 
shall  smite  the  image  on  the  feet,  and  bjeak  to 
pieces  all  the  kingdoms  of  this  world. 

"  I  was  unable  to  find  any  prediction  of  events 
which  presented  any  clear  evidence  of  their  ful- 
fillment before  the  scenes  that  usher  in  the 
advent.  And  finding  all  the  signs  of  the  times, 
and  the  present  condition  of  the  world,  to  com- 
pare harmoniously  with  the  prophetic  descrip- 

*  2  Pet.  3 ;  Isa.  65  :  17 ;  Rev.  21  :  22. 

■  •!■  Rom.  2  :  14,  15  ;  4  :  13 ;  9:6;  10:12;  11  :  17  ;  Gal.  3  :  29 ; 
Eph.  2  :  14,  15. 


TEACHINGS   OF    PROPHECY.  55 

tions  of  the  last  days,  I  was  compelled  to  believe 
that  this  world  had  about  reached  the  limits  of 
the  period  allotted  for  its  continuance.  As  I  re- 
garded the  evidence,  I  could  arrive  at  no  other 
conclusion. 

"  Another  kind  of  evidence  that  vitally  affected 
my  mind  was  the  chronology  of  the  Scriptures. 
I  found,  on  pursuing  the  study  of  the  Bible,  vari- 
ous chronological  periods  extending,  according  to 
my  understanding  of  them,  to  the  coming  of  the 
Saviour.  I  found  that  predicted  events,  which 
had  been  fulfilled  in  the  past,  often  occurred 
within  a  given  time.  The  one  hundred  and 
twenty  years  to  the  flood ;  Gen.  6:3;  the  seven 
days  that  were  to  precede  it,  with  forty  days  of 
predicted  rain ;  Gen.  7:4;  the  four  hundred 
years  of  sojourn  of  Abraham's  seed  ;  Gen.  15:13; 
the  three  days  of  the  butler's  and  baker's  dreams ; 
Gen.  40:12-20;  the  seven  years  of  Pharaoh's; 
Gen.  41 :  28-54 ;  the  forty  years  in  the  wilder- 
ness ;  Num.  14  :  34  ;  the  three  and  a  half  years  of 
famine  :  1  Kings  17:1;  the  sixty- five  years  to  the 
breaking  of  Ephraim ;  Isa.  7:8;  the  seventy  years' 
captivity;  Jer.  25:11;  Nebuchadnezzar's  seven 
times;  Dan.  4:13-10;  and  the  seven  weeks, 
threescore  and  two  weeks,  and  the  one  week, 
making  seventy  weeks,  determined  upon  the 
Jews  ;  Dan.  9  :  24-27 ;  the  events  limited  by 
these  times  were  all  once  only  a  matter  of 
prophecy,  and  were  fulfilled  in  accordance  with 
the  predictions. 

"When,  therefore,  I  found  the  2300  prophetic 
days,  which  were  to  mark  the  length  of  the  vis- 
ion from  the  Persian  to  the  end  of  the  fourth 
kingdom,  the  seven  times'  continuance  of  the  dis- 
persion of  God's  people,  and  the  1335  prophetic 


56  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

days  to  the  standing  of  Daniel  in  his  lot,  all  evi- 
dently extending  to  the  advent,  *  with  other 
prophetical  periods,  I  could  but  regard  them  as 
'  the  times  before  appointed/  which  God  had  re- 
vealed '  unto  his  servants  the  prophets.'  As  I 
was  fully  convinced  that '  all  Scripture  given  by 
inspiration  of  God  is  profitable,' — that  it  came 
not  at  any  time  by  the  will  of  man,  but  was 
written  as  holy  men  were  moved  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  was  written  for  our  learning,  that  we, 
through  patience  and  comfort  of  the  Scriptures, 
might  have  hope, — I  could  but  regard  the  chro- 
nological portions  of  the  Bible  as  being  as  much 
a  portion  of  the  word  of  God,  and  as  much  en- 
titled to  our  serious  consideration,  as  any  other 
portion  of  the  Scriptures. 

"  I,  therefore,  felt  that,  in  endeavoring  to  com- 
prehend what  God  had  in  his  mercy  seen  fit  to 
reveal  to  us,  I  had  no  right  to  pass  over  the 
prophetic  periods.  I  saw  that,  as  the  events 
predicted  to  be  fulfilled  in  prophetic  days  had 
been  extended  over  about  as  many  literal  years ; 
as  God,  in  Num.  14  :  34,  and  Eze.  4  :  4-6,  had  ap- 
})ointed  each  day  for  a  year;  as  the  seventy 
weeks  to  the  Messiah  were  fulfilled  in  490  years, 
and  the  1260  prophetic  days  of  the  papal  su- 
premacy in  1260  years;  and  as  these  prophetical 
days  extending  to  the  advent  were  given  in  con- 
nection with  symbolic  prophecy,  I  could  only  re- 
gard the  time  as  symbolical,  and  as  standing  each 
day  for  a  year,  in  accordance  vrith  the  opinions  of 
all  the  standard  Protestant  commentators.  If, 
then,  we  could  obtain  any  clue  to  the  time  of 

*  The  supposition  that  two  of  the  periods  of  Daniel  extended  to 
Ihe  second  advent  constituted  Mr.  Miller's  mistake,  hence  the  con- 
sequent disappointment.  j.  w. 


TEACHINGS   OF    PROPHECY.  57 

their  commencement,  I  conceived  we  should  be 
guided  to  the  probable  time  of  their  termination, 
and,  as  God  would  not  bestow  upon  us  a  useless 
revelation,  I  regarded  them  as  conducting  us  to 
the  time  when  we  might  confidently  look  for  the 
coming  of  the  Chiefest  of  ten  thousand,  One  al- 
together lovely. 

"  From  a  further  study  of  the  Scriptures,  I  con- 
cluded that  the  seven  times  of  Gentile  suprem- 
acy must  commence  when  the  Jews  ceased  to 
be  an  independent  nation,  at  the  captivity  of 
IVIanasseh,  which  the  best  chronologers  assigned 
to  B.  c.  677  ;  that  the  2.300  days  commenced  with 
the  seventy  weeks,  which  the  best  chronologers 
dated  from  B.  c.  457;  and  that  the  1335  days, 
commencing  with  the  taking  away  of  the  daily, 
and  the  setting  up  of  the  abomination  that  mak- 
eth  desolate,  Dan.  12  :  11,  were  to  be  dated  from 
the  setting  up  of  the  papal  supremacy,  after  the 
taking  away  of  pagan  abominations,  and  which, 
according  to  the  best  historians  I  could  consult, 
should  be  dated  from  about  A.  D.  508.  Reckoning 
all  these  prophetic  periods  from  the  several  dates 
assigned  by  the  best  chronologers  for  the  events 
from  which  they  should  evidently  be  reckoned, 
they  would  all  terminate  together,  about  A.  d. 
1843. 

"I  was  thus  brought,  in  1818,  at  tlie  close  of 
my  two  years'  study  of  the  Scriptures,  to  the 
solemn  conclusion  that  in  about  twenty-five 
years  from  that  time  all  the  affairs  of  our  pres- 
ent state  would  be  wound  up  ;  that  all  its  pride 
and  power,  pomp  and  vanity,  wickedness  and 
oppression,  would  come  to  an  end ;  and  that,  in 
the  place  of  the  kingdoms  of  tliis  world,  the 
peaceful  and  long-desired  kingdom  of  the  Messiah 


58  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

would  be  established  under  the  whole  heaven ; 
that,  in  about  twenty-five  years,  the  glory  of  the 
Lord  would  be  revealed,  and  all  flesh  see  it  to- 
gether— the  desert  bud  and  blossom  as  the  rose, 
the  fir-tree  come  up  instead  of  the  thorn,  and, 
instead  of  the  briar,  the  myrtle-tree — the  curse 
be  removed  from  ofi"  the  earth,  death  be  de- 
stroyed, reward  be  given  to  the  servants  of  God, the 
prophets  and  saints,  and  them  who  fear  his  name, 
and  those  be  destroyed  that  destroy  the  earth. 

"I  need  not  speak  of  the  joy  that  filled  my 
heart  in  view  of  the  delightful  prospect,  nor  of 
the  ardent  longings  of  my  soul  for  a  participation 
in  the  joys  of  the  redeemed.  The  Bible  was  now 
to  me  a  new  book.  It  was  indeed  a  feast  of 
reason  ;  all  that  was  dark,  mystical  or  obscure,  to 
me,  in  its  teachings,  liad  been  dissipated  from  my 
mind  before  the  clear  light  that  now  dawned  from 
its  sacred  pages;  and  oh,  how  bright  and  glori- 
ous the  truth  appeared ! 

"  All  the  contradictions  and  inconsistencies  I 
had  before  found  in  the  word  were  gone ;  and, 
although  there  were  many  portions  of  which  I 
was  not  satisfied  I  had  a  full  understanding,  yet 
so  much  light  had  emanated  from  it  to  the  illum- 
ination of  my  before  darkened  mind,  that  I  felt 
a  deliglit  in  studying  the  Scriptures  which  I  had 
not  before  supposed  could  be  derived  from  its 
teachings.  I  commenced  their  study  with  no  ex- 
pectation of  finding  the  time  of  the  Saviour's 
coming,  and  I  could  at  first  hardly  believe  the 
result  to  which  I  had  arrived ;  but  the  evidence 
struck  me  with  such  force  that  I  could  not  resist 
my  convictions.  I  became  nearly  settled  in  my 
conclusions,  and  began  to  wait,  and  watch,  and 
pray  for  my  Saviour's  coming. 


HIS    ARTICLES    OF    BELIEF.  59 

"  The  above  are  the  conckisions  to  which  he 
arrived  on  the  general  subject  of  prophecy ;  but 
his  views  on  other  scriptural  topics  may  not  be 
uninteresting  in  this  connection.  His  general 
theological  opinions  may  be  inferred  from  his 
connecting  himself  w^itli  a  Calvinistic  Baptist 
church,  as  the  one  most  congenial  to  his  faith. 
But  he  has  left,  among  his  papers,  an  unfinished 
compendium  of  his  belief,  which  bears  date, 
and  is  appended  to  the  annexed  certificate,  as 
follows : — 

"  '  Low  IIamptox,  Sept.  5,  1822. 

"  '  I  hereby  acknowledge  that  I  have  long  be- 
lieved it  my  duty  ...  to  leave,  for  the  inspec- 
tion of  my  brethren,  friends  and  children,  a  brief 
statement  of  my  faith  (and  which  ought  to  be 
my  practice) ;  and  I  pray  God  to  forgive  me 
where  I  go  astray.  I  made  it  a  subject  of  prayer 
and  meditation,  and,  therefore,  leave  the  follow- 
ing as  my  faith, — reserving  the  privilege  of 
correction. 

" '  (Signed,)  Wm.  Miller. 

" '  Article  One. 

" '  I  believe  the  Bible  is  given  by  God  to  man, 
as  a  rule  for  our  practice,  and  a  guide  to  our 
faith — that  it  is  a  revelation  of  God  to  man. 

"  '  AiiTicLE  Two. 

" '  I  believe  in  one  living  and  true  God,  and 
that  there  are  three  persons  in  the  Godhead — as 
there  is  in  man,  the  body,  soul,  and  spirit.  And 
if  any  one  will  tell  me  how  these  exist,  I  will  tell 
him  how  the  three  persons  of  the  Triune  God  are 
connected. 


60  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 


''  'Article  Three. 

" '  I  believe  tliat  God,  by  his  Son,  created  man 
in  the  image  of  the  Triune  God,  with  a  body, 
soul,  and  spirit ;  and  that  he  was  created  a  moral 
agent,  capable  of  living,  of  obeying,  or  transgress- 
ing the  laws  of  his  Maker. 

"  'Article  Four. 

" '  I  believe  that  man,  being  tempted  by  the 
enemy  of  all  good,  did  transgress,  and  became 
polluted;  from  which  act,  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  all  mankind  became  naturally  sinners, 
thrust  out  from  the  presence  of  God,  and  exposed 
to  his  just  w]"ath  forever." 

"  '  Article  Fi\t;. 

" '  I  believe  that  God,  knowing  from  eternity 
the  use  that  man  would  make  of  liis  [free]  agency, 
did,  in  his  council  of  eternity,  ordain  that  his  Son 
should  die ;  and  that  through  his  death  salvation 
should  be  given  to  fallen  man,  through  such  means 
as  God  should  appoint. 

' ' '  Article  Six. 

"  '  I  believe  that,  through  the  agency  of  tlie 
Holy  Spirit,  sinners  are  made  the  recipients  of 
mercy,  in  conformity  to  the  divine  plan,  founded 
on  the  wisdom  and  knowledge  of  God  ;  the  fruits 
of  which  are  manifested  in  the  recipient  by  works 
of  repentance  and  faith ;  and  without  which  no 
man,  coming  to  years  of  discretion,  and  able  to 
choose  between  good  and  evil,  can  have  an  inter- 
est in  the  blood  and  rishteousness  of  Christ, 


niS    ARTICLES   OF   BELIEF.  61 

"'Article  Seven. 

" '  I  believe  that  Jesus  Chiist  is  an  offering  of 
God  to  sinners  for  their  redemption  from  sin,  and 
that  those  who  believe  in  his  name  may  take  him 
by  faith,  go  to  God,  and  find  mercy ;  and  that 
such  will  in  nowise  be  rejected. 

"  'Article  Eight. 

"  '  I  believe  that  Jesus  Christ  was  the  sacrifice 
for  sin  which  justice  demanded  ;  and  that  all  those 
who  confess  their  sins  on  the  head  of  this  victim 
may  expect  forgiveness  of  sin  through  the  blood 
of  the  atonement,  which  is  in  Jesus  Christ,  tlie 
great  High  Priest  in  the  holy  of  holies. 

'■  '  Article  Nine. 

" '  I  believe  the  atonement  to  be  made  by  the 
intercession  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  sprinkling 
of  his  blood  in  the  holy  of  holies,  and  upon  the 
mercy- seat  and  people ;  by  which  means  the 
offended  is  reconciled  to  the  offender,  the  offender 
is  brought  into  subjection  to  the  will  of  God  ;  and 
the  effect  is,  forgiveness  of  sin,  union  to  the  divine 
person,  and  to  the  household  of  faith. 

"  'Article  Ten. 

"'I  believe  all  those  for  whom  Christ  inter- 
cedes, who  are  united  to  God  by  a  living  faith, 
and  have  received  the  foimveness  of  sin  through 
the  sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  can  never 
perish ;  but  are  kept  by  the  mighty  power  of 
God  through  faith  unto  salvation. 


62  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 


"'Akticle  Eleven. 

'"I  believe  that  all  the  promises  of  God  are 
and  will  be  accomplished  in  Christ  Jesus;  and 
that  none  of  the  human  family  are  or  can  be  en- 
titled to  the  promises  of  grace,  but  those  who  are 
born  of  the  Spirit  in  Christ  Jesus,  any  more  than 
the  antediluvians  could  have  been  saved  from 
the  deluge  without  entering  the  ark. 

"'Article  Twelve. 

"'I  believe  that  Christ  will  eventually  take 
away  the  sin  of  the  world,  and  cleanse  the  earth 
from  all  pollution,  so  that  this  earth  will  become 
the  abode  of  the  saints  forever,  by  means  which 
he  has  appointed;  all  believers  being  regenerated, 
sanctified,  justified,  and  glorified. 

"  '  Article  Thirteen. 

" '  I  believe  that  all  final  impenitents  will  be 
destroyed  from  the  earth,  and  sent  away  into  a 
place  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his  angels. 

"  '  Article  Fourteen. 

" '  I  believe  Jesus  Christ  will  come  again  in  his 
glory  and  person  to  our  earth,  where  he  will  ac- 
complish his  divine  purposes  in  the  saving  of  his 
people,  destroying  the  wicked  from  the  earth, 
and  taking  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

' '  '  Article  Fifteen. 

" '  I  believe  that  the  second  coming  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  near,  even  at  the  door,  even  within 
twenty-one  years,—- on  or  before  1843. 


HIS   ARTICLES    OP    BELIEF.  63 


"'Article  Sixteen. 

" '  I  believe  that  before  Christ  comes  in  his  glo- 
ry, all  sectarian  principles  will  be  shaken,  and 
the  votaries  of  the  several  sects  scattered  to  the 
four  winds ;  and  that  none  will  be  able  to  stand 
but  those  who  are  built  on  the  word  of  God. 

"  '  Article  Seve^s^teen. 

" '  I  believe  in  the  resurrection,  both  of  the  just 
and  of  the  unjust — the  just,  or  believers,  at 
Christ's  second  coming,  and  the  unjust  one  thou- 
sand years  afterwards — when  the  judgment  of 
each  will  take  place  in  their  order,  at  their  sev- 
eral resurrections  ;  when  the  just  will  receive  ev- 
erlasting life,  and  the  unjust  eternal  condemna- 
tion. 

"'Article  Eighteen. 

"  '  I  believe  in  the  doctrine  of  election,  founded 
on  the  will,  purpose,  and  fore-knowledge  of  God  ; 
and  that  all  the  elect  will  be  saved  in  the  king- 
dom of  God,  through  the  sanctification  of  the 
Spirit  and  the  belief  of  the  truth. 

" '  Article  Nineteen. 

"  '  I  believe  in  the  ordinance  of  baptism  by  im- 
mersion, as  a  representation  of  Christ's  burial  and 
resurrection — also  of  our  death  to  sin  and  life  to 
holiness. 

"  'Article  Twenty. 

" '  I  believe  in  the  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  sup- 
per, to  be ' • 

"  The  last  article  was  left  thus  incomplete;  and 


64  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

the  series  of  articles  was  not  extended,  as  it  was 
evidently  designed  to  have  been,  so  as  to  give  an 
expression  of  his  faith  on  subjects  not  included 
in  the  foregoinij.  It  is  not  known  that  his 
views,  as  above  expressed,  ever  underwent  any 
change — excepting  as  his  belief  in  the  date  of  the 
second  advent  was  afterwards  shown,  by  the 
passing  of  time,  to  be  incorrect." 


CHAPTER   III. 

INTERVAL  BETWEEN  HIS  CONVERSION  AND  HIS  PUBLIC 
LABORS  —  CORRESPONDENCE  —  DIALOGUE  WITH  A  PHY- 
SICIAN. 

All  truly  great  and  good  men  who  have  been 
the  honored  instruments  in  the  hands  of  God  of 
accomplishing  good,  and  of  leading  his  people  in 
the  way  of  truth,  have  had  wrought  in  them  a 
deep  experience  in  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of 
God.  This  being  the  case  with  William  Millei', 
we  are  happy  to  give  in  this  chapter  some  of  the 
important  facts  in  his  experience.  His  biogra- 
pher says  : — 

"  From  the  time  that  Mr.  Miller  became  estab- 
lished in  his  religious  faith,  till  he  commenced 
his  public  labors — a  period  of  twelve  or  fourteen 
years — there  were  few  prominent  incidents  in  his 
life  to  distinguish  him  from  other  men.  He  was 
a  good  citizen,  a  kind  neighbor,  an  affectionate 
husband  and  parent,  and  a  devoted  Christian ; 
good  to  the  poor,  and  benevolent,  as  objects  of 
charity  v,^ere  presented ;  in  the  Sunday-school, 
was  teacher  and  superintendent ;   in  the  church 


EARLY    CIIRISTIAN    LIFE.  Of) 

he  performed  important  service  as  a  reader  and 
exhorter,  and,  in  the  support  of  religious  wor- 
ship, no  other  member,  perhaps,  did  as  much 
as  he. 

"  He  was  very  exemplary  in  his  life  and  con- 
versation, endeavored  at  all  times  to  perform  the 
duties,  whether  public  or  private,  which  devolved 
on  him,  and  whatever  he  did  was  done  cheerfully, 
as  for  the  glory  of  God.  His  leisure  hours  were 
devoted  to  reading  and  meditation  ;  he  kept  him- 
self well  informed  respecting  the  current  events 
of  the  time ;  occasionally  communicated  his 
thoughts  through  the  press,  and  often,  for  his  own 
private  amusement,  or  for  the  entertainment  of 
friends,  indulged  in  various  poetical  effusions, 
which,  for  unstudied  productions,  are  possessed 
of  some  merit ;  but  his  principal  enjoyment  was 
derived  from  the  study  of  the  Eible.  His  state 
of  mind  at  this  time  can  be  better  given  in  his 
own  language. 

" '  With  the  solemn  conviction,'  writes  Mr.  Mil- 
ler, '  that  such  momentous  events  wei'e  predicted 
in  the  Scriptures,  to  be  fulfilled  in  so  short  a  space 
of  time,  the  question  came  home  to  me  with 
mighty  power  regarding  my  duty  to  the  world, 
in  view  of  the  evidence  that  had  affected  my  own 
mind.  If  the  end  was  so  near,  it  was  important 
that  the  world  should  know  it.  I  supposed  that 
it  would  call  forth  the  opposition  of  the  ungodly ; 
but  it  never  came  into  my  mind  that  any  Chris- 
tian would  oppose  it.  I  supposed  that  all  such 
would  be  so  rejoiced,  in  view  of  the  glorious  pros- 
pect, that  it  would  only  be  necessary  to  present 
it,  for  them  to  receive  it.  My  great  fear  was 
that  in  their  joy  at  the  hope  of  a  glorious  inher- 

Miller.  5 


66  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

itance  so  soon  to  be  revealed,  they  would  receive 
the  doctrine  without  sufficiently  examining  the 
Scriptures  in  demonstration  of  its  truth.  I  there- 
fore feared  to  present  it,  lest,  by  some  possibility, 
I  should  be  in  error,  and  be  the  means  of  mis- 
leading any. 

"'Various  difficulties  and  objections  would  arise 
in  my  mind  from  time  to  time ;  certain  texts 
would  occur  to  me  which  seemed  to  weigh  against 
my  conclusions ;  and  I  would  not  present  a  view 
to  others,  while  any  difficulty  appeared  to  mili- 
tate against  it.  I  therefore  continued  the  study 
of  the  Bible,  to  see  if  I  could  sustain  any  of  these 
objections.  My  object  was  not  merely  to  remove 
them,  but  I  wished  to  see  if  they  were  valid. 

" '  Sometimes,  when  at  work,  a  text  would  arise 
like  this  :  "  Of  that  day  and  hour  knoweth  no 
man,"  &;c. ;  and  how,  then,  could  the  Bible  reveal 
the  time  of  the  advent  ?  I  would  then  immedi- 
ately examine  the  context  in  which  it  was  found, 
and  I  saw  at  once  that,  in  the  same  connection, 
we  are  informed  how  we  may  know  when  it  is 
nigh,  even  at  the  doors ;  consequently,  that  text 
could  not  teach  that  we  could  know  nothing  of 
the  time  of  that  event.  Other  texts,  which  are 
advanced  in  support  of  the  doctrine  of  a  temporal 
millennium,  would  arise ;  but  on  examining  their 
context,  I  invariably  found  that  they  were  ap- 
plicable only  to  the  eternal  state,  or  were  so 
illustrative  of  the  spread  of  the  gospel  here  as  to 
be  entirely  irrelevant  to  the  position  they  were 
adduced  to  support. 

" '  Thus  all  those  passages  that  speak  of  the 
will  of  God  being  done  on  earth  as  in  Heaven,  of 
the  earth  being  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory 
of  God,  &c.,  could  not  be  applicable  to  a  time  when 


DIFFICULTIES    AXD    OBJECTIOXS.  67 

the  man  of  sin  was  prevailing  against  the  saints, 
or  when  the  righteous  and  wicked  were  dwelling 
together,  which  is  to  be  the  case  until  the  end  of 
the  world.  Those  who  speak  of  the  gospel  being 
preached  in  all  the  world,  teach  that,  as  soon  as 
it  should  be  thus  preached,  the  end  was  to  come ; 
so  that  it  could  not  be  delayed  a  thousand  years 
from  that  time,  nor  long  enough  for  the  world's 
conversion  after  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  as  a 
witness. 

" '  The  question  of  the  resurrection  and  judg- 
ment was,  for  a  time,  an  obstacle  in  the  way. 
Being  instructed  that  all  the  dead  would  be  raised 
at  the  same  time,  I  supposed  it  must  be  so  taught 
in  the  Bible ;  but  I  soon  saw  it  was  one  of  the 
traditions  of  the  elders. 

"  '  So,  also,  with  the  return  of  the  Jews.  That 
question  I  saw  could  only  be  sustained  by  deny- 
ing the  positive  declarations  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, which  assert :  "  There  is  no  difference  be- 
tween the  Jew  and  the  Greek  ;"  that  the  promise 
that  he  shall  be  the  heir  of  the  world  was  not  to 
Abraham  and  his  seed  through  the  law,  but 
through  the  righteousness  of  faith ;  that  "  there 
is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  bond  nor  free,  male  nor 
female  ;"  but  that  "  if  ye  are  Christ's  then  are  ye 
Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according  to  the  prom- 
ise." I  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  discard  an  ob- 
jection which  asserts  there  is  a  difference  between 
the  Jew  and  Greek  ;  that  the  children  of  the  flesh 
are  accounted  for  the  seed,  &c. 

" '  In  this  way  I  was  occupied  for  five  years 
— from  1818  to  1823 — in  weighing  the  various  ob- 
jections which  were  being  presented  to  my  mind. 
During  that  time,  more  objections  arose  in  my 
mind  than  have  been  advanced  by  my  opponents 


68  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

since;  and  1  know  of  no  objection  that  has  been 
since  advanced  which  did  not  then  occur  to  me. 
But,  however  strong  they  at  first  appeared,  after 
examining  them  in  the  light  of  the  divine  word, 
I  could  only  compare  them  to  straws,  laid  down 
singly  as  obstacles  on  a  well-beaten  road ;  the 
car  of  truth  rolled  over  them,  unimpeded  in  its 
progress. 

" '  I  was  then  fully  settled  in  the  conclusions 
which  seven  years  previously  had  begun  to  bear 
with  such  impressive  force  upon  my  mind ;  and 
the  duty  of  presenting  the  evidence  of  the  near- 
ness of  the  advent  to  others — which  I  had  man- 
aged to  evade  while  I  could  find  the  shadow  of 
an  objection  remaining  against  its  truth — again 
came  home  to  me  with  great  force.  I  had,  pre- 
viously, only  thrown  out  occasional  hints  of  my 
views.  I  then  began  to  speak  more  clearly  my 
opinions  to  my  neighbors,  to  ministers,  and  others. 
To  my  astonishment,  I  found  very  few  who  list- 
ened with  any  interest.  Occasionally,  one  would 
see  the  force  of  the  evidence ;  but  the  great  ma- 
jority passed  it  by  as  an  idle  tale.  I  was,  there- 
fore, disa})pointed  in  finding  any  who  would  de- 
clare this  doctrine,  as  I  felt  it  should  be,  for  the 
comfort  of  saints,  and  as  a  warning  to  sinners.' 

"  His  correspondence  during  this  period  shows 
ardent  longings  for  the  salvation  of  his  relatives 
and  friends.  In  a  letter  to  a  sister,  dated  June 
25, 18:^5,  after  writing  on  various  subjects  of  fiim- 
ily  interest,  he  says  : — 

" '  Deak  Brother  and  Sister  : — All  the  news 
that  we  had  to  tell  having  been  told  above,  I  will 
now  add  a  few  lines ;  and  oh  !  may  they  be  di- 
rected  by   Infinite   Wisdom  ?     What   are   your 


CORRESPONDENCE.  69 

prospects  for  eternity  ?  Is  there  a  land  of  eter- 
nal rest,  beyond  the  confines  of  this  world,  in 
prospect  ?  Do  you  believe  that  the  blood  of  the 
everlasting  covenant  can  and  will  cleanse  you 
from  all  sin  ?  Are  you  satisfied  with  your  pres- 
ent evidence  of  an  interest  in  that  blood  ?  That 
we  shall  die,  is  certain ;  and  due  preparation  for 
a  better  world  is  wisdom ;  and  we  ought  as  ra- 
tional beings  to  make  ourselves  familiar  with  the 
road  and  acquainted  with  the  inhabitants  of  said 
country.  0  my  soul !  go  thou  to  the  mansions  of 
the  dead,  and  learn  there  the  end  of  all  living. 

" '  That  we  ought  to  be  cleansed  from  all  sin, 
in  order  to  be  happy,  is  certain ;  for  sin  consti- 
tutes all  misery;  and  a  person  living  in  the  en- 
joyment (falsely  so  called)  of  sin  cannot  enter 
into  rest.  How  necessary,  then,  is  the  work  of 
regeneration  and  sanctification  !  And  may  we  ob- 
tain that  evidence  which  will  enable  us,  with 
Thomas,  to  say,  "  My  Lord  and  my  God  !"  Re- 
demption is  the  work  of  God.  How  proper, 
then,  that  Jesus  should  be  called  the  Redeem- 
er, the  Holy  One  of  Israel !  Redemption  is 
from  sin.  How  improper,  then,  that  we  should 
live  any  longer  therein !  We  ought  as  much  to 
strive  to  attain  to  perfection  as  if  it  was  attainable 
here  below. 

"  Lord,  I  believe  thy  heavenly  word  ; 
Fain  would  I  have  my  soul  renewed. 
I  mourn  for  sin,  and  trust  the  Lord 
To  have  it  pardoned  and  subdued. 

"  My  King,  my  Saviour,  and  my  God, 

Let  grace  my  sinful  soul  renew  ; 
■  Wash  my  offenses  with  thy  blood, 

And  make  my  heart  sincere  and  true. 


70  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

' '  Oh  !  may  thy  grace  its  power  display  ! 
Let  guilt  and  death  no  longer  reign  ; 
Save  me  in  thine  appointed  way, 
Nor  let  my  hnmble  faith  be  vain. 

"  Ye  favored  lands,  who  have  his  word. 
Ye  saints,  who  feel  its  saving  power, 
Unite  your  tongues  to  praise  the  Lord, 
And  his  distinguished  grace  adore." 

"'P.  S.  June  30. — I  have  this  day  been  to 
Whitehall,  to  see  the  celebrated  Marquis  de  La- 
fayette, that  made  such  a  conspicuous  figure,  half 
a  century  ago,  in  our  Revolution.  He  is  a  pleas- 
ant-looking old  man,  a  friend  to  freemen,  a  ter- 
ror to  tyrants,  and  one  that  has  spent  his  treas- 
ures, his  blood,  and  the  best  part  of  his  life,  in 
the  cause  of  freedom  and  the  rights  of  man.  He 
has  suffered  much ;  yet  he  retains  a  good  consti- 
tution. He  goes  a  little  lame,  occasioned  by 
wounds  he  received  in  the  Revolution.  He  de- 
serves the  thanks  of  Americans,  and  he  has  re- 
ceived a  general  burst  of  gratitude  from  Maine 
to  the  Mississippi.  He  has  visited  every  State 
in  the  Union  and  almost  every  important  town. 
I  had  the  pleasure  of  dining  with  him  ;  and  after 
dinner  he  took  a  passage  for  New  York. 

" '  Yours,  &c.,  Wm.  Miller.' 

"  That  Mr.  M.  was  one  of  the  men  prominent 
in  his  section  of  the  country,  is  shown  by  his 
mingling  with  them,  as  above,  on  the  various 
public  occasions. 

"  He  derived  such  pleasure  from  the  study  of 
the  Bible  that  it  was  almost  his  constant  com- 
panion ;  and  a  portion  of  each  day  was  devoted 
to  its  private  perusal.  He  loved  to  meditate  on 
its  teachings  and  to  talk  about  its  premises. 


CORRESPONDENCE.  71 

"In  the  winter  of  1828,  the  church  in  Low 
Hampton,  of  which  Mr.  Miller  was  a  member, 
was  refreshed  by  an  outpouring  of  the  Holy 
Spirit.  In  a  letter,  dated  March  12,  written  to 
Elder  Hendryx,  to  whom  reference  has  before 
been  made,  Mr.  Miller  says :  '  One  young  man 
came  to  my  house  last  night  after  nine  o'clock, 
to  request  prayers.  He  said  he  had  been  eight 
years  under  conviction,  and  appeared  to  be  al- 
most in  despair.  I  thought  I  could  say  to  him, 
as  did  John  the  Baptist  to  his  disciples  :  "  Behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  that  taketh  away  the  sin  of 
the  world  ! "  Twelve  or  fourteen  requested  pray- 
ers last  Sunday  evening.  It  is  really  the  work 
of  the  Lord.  I  never  lived  in  a  reformation  so 
genei'al,  so  solemn,  and  with  so  little  noise.  Sure- 
ly, we  have  reason  to  rejoice  and  be  glad.  The 
Lord  has  remembered  the  low  state  of  his  people, 
and  hath  come  down  to  deliver.  Two  of  my 
children,  William  and  Bellona,  as  I  have  a  good 
degree  of  hope,  are  subjects  of  grace.  Pray  for 
us.' 

"  In  the  same  letter  he  makes  mention  of  trials, 
as  well  as  blessings.  He  says :  '  On  Saturday, 
the  first  day  of  March,  our  meeting-house  was 
consumed  by  fire.  We  should  have  almost  de- 
spaired of  ever  building  again,  had  not  the  Lord 
visited  us  by  his  grace,  and  likewise  opened  the 
hearts  of  our  Christian  friends  from  abroad.  $400 
have  been  subscribed  from  the  adjoining  towns. 
There  is  now  some  prospect  that  we  shall  build. 
You  know  we  are  weak  in  numbers.  We  are  re- 
ally so  in  resources.  I  must  bend  my  whole 
force  to  gain  the  above-mentioned  object.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  succeeded  in  the  accomplishment 


72  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

of  his  wishes,  according  to  his  ability  and  known 
liberality. 

"  He  continued  to  make  the  Bible  his  daily 
study,  and  became  more  and  more  convinced  that 
he  had  a  personal  duty  to  perform  respecting 
what  he  conceived  the  Bible  to  teach  of  the  near- 
ness of  the  advent.  These  impressions  he  thus 
describes : — 

"  '  When  I  was  about  my  business,  it  was  con- 
tinually ringing  in  my  ears.  Go  and  tell  the  world 
of  their  danger.  This  text  was  constantly  occur- 
ring to  me :  "  When  I  say  unto  the  wicked,  0 
wicked  man,  thou  shalt  surely  die ;  if  thou  dost 
not  speak  to  warn  the  wicked  from  his  way,  that 
wicked  man  shall  die  in  his  iniquity;  but  his 
blood  will  I  require  at  thy  hand.  Nevertheless, 
if  thou  warn  the  wicked  of  his  way  to  turn  from 
it ;  if  he  do  not  turn  from  his  way,  he  shall  die 
in  his  iniquity ;  but  thou  hast  delivered  thy  soul." 
Eze.  33  : 8,  9.  I  felt  that,  if  the  wicked  could  be 
effectually  warned,  multitudes  of  them  would  re- 
pent ;  and  that,  if  they  were  not  warned,  their 
blood  might  be  required  at  my  hand. 

"  '  I  did  all  I  could  to  avoid  the  conviction  that 
anything  was  required  of  me ;  and  I  thought  that 
by  freely  speaking  of  it  to  all,  I  should  perform 
my  duty,  and  that  God  would  raise  up  the  neces- 
sary instrumentality  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  work.  I  prayed  that  some  minister  might 
see  the  truth,  and  devote  himself  to  its  promul- 
gation ;  but  still  it  was  impressed  upon  me,  Go 
and  tell  it  to  the  world ;  their  blood  will  I  re- 
quire at  thy  hand.  The  more  I  presented  it  in 
conversation,  the  more  dissatisfied  I  felt  with  my- 
self for  withholding  it  from  the  public.  I  tried 
to  excuse  myself  to  the  Lord  for  not  going  out 


COXVICTIONS   ABOUT    PREACHING.  73 

and  proclaiming  it  to  the  world.  I  told  the  Lord 
that  I  was  not  used  to  public  speaking ;  that  I 
had  not  the  necessary  qualifications  to  gain  the 
attention  of  an  audience  ;  that  I  was  very  diffi- 
dent, and  feared  to  go  before  the  world ;  that 
they  would  "not  believe  me  nor  hearken  to  my 
voice ; "  that  I  was  "  slow  of  speech,  and  of  a  slow 
tongue."     But  I  could  get  no  relief  " 

"  In  this  way  he  struggled  on  for  nine  years 
longer,  pursuing  the  study  of  the  Bible,  doing  all 
he  could  to  present  the  nearness  of  Christ's  com- 
ing to  those  whom  circumstances  threw  in  his 
way ;  but  resisting  his  impressions  of  duty  to  go 
out  as  a  public  teacher.  He  was  then  fifty  years 
old,  and  it  seemed  impossible  for  him  to  surmount 
the  obstacles  which  lay  in  his  path,  to  successful- 
ly present  it  in  a  public  manner. 

"  His  freedom  to  converse  on  the  subject,  and 
the  ability  with  wliich  he  was  able  to  defend  his 
own  views,  and  oppose  those  difiering  from  liim, 
had  given  him  no  little  celebrity  in  his  denomi- 
nation in  all  that  resion ;  and  some  were  rather 
shy  in  approaching  him.  Elder  T.  Hendryx,  a 
Baptist  clergyman,  now  in  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, who  has  kindly  furnished  the  biographer 
with  many  original  letters  from  Mr.  Miller,  thus 
speaks  of  his  first  acquaintance  with  him  : — 

"'My  first  acquaintance  with  Bro.  Miller  was 
in  the  summer  of  1831.  I  had  been  requested  to 
visit  the  Baptist  church  in  Hampton,  and  con- 
cluded to  go.  When  about  to  stait,  I  was  in- 
formed by  a  brother  in  the  church  of  which  I 
was  a  member,  in  Salem,  N.  Y.,  that  there  was  a 
brother  in  the  Hampton  church,  possessing  con- 
siderable influence,  who  had  many  curious  no- 
tions on  doctrinal  points,  and  on  the  prophecies 


74  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

— particularly  on  the  latter ;  and  also  (to  use  the 
brother's  language)  that  he  was  "  hard  on  minis- 
ters who  differed  with  him."  Having  recently 
commenced  preaching,  without  much  confidence 
in  my  own  ability,  and  not  having  made  any  en- 
gagement to  the  church,  I  at  first  almost  con- 
cluded not  to  go.  On  further  reflection,  I  decid- 
ed to  go,  and  put  my  trust  in  Him  who  had  said, 
"  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway."  On  my  way  I  en- 
deavored, by  prayer  and  meditation,  to  divest 
myself  of  all  prejudice  against  his  peculiar  no- 
tions, whatever  they  might  be  (for  as  yet  I  was 
ignorant  of  them),  and  at  the  same  time  to  forti- 
fy myself  against  being  led  into  error  by  him. 

"'  I  arrived  at  Bro.  Miller's  on  the  6th  of  July, 
1831.  You  may  well  suppose  that  my  situation 
was  not  very  enviable.  I  moved  tremblingly 
and  with  the  utmost  caution.  In  spite  of  me,  I 
could  not  act  like  myself;  and  it  was  not  till  I 
had  been  there  nearly  a  week,  and  preached  sev- 
eral discourses,  that  I  could  feel  at  home,  or  enjoy 
my  wonted  freedom  in  preaching  the  word.  Sev- 
eral other  ministering  brethren  visited  at  Bro. 
M.'s  during  my  stay  there,  and  I  found  that  I 
was  not  altogether  alone  in  those  feelings.  But 
how  perfectly  groundless  those  fears  I  Instead 
of  pouncing  upon  my  errors  like  the  tiger,  no 
brother  ever  dealt  with  me  more  tenderly,  or  ex- 
hibited a  better  spirit  in  presenting  his  views. 

" '  After  being  with  Bro.  M.  some  time,  he  asked 
me  my  views  on  the  millennium.  Having  thrown 
off"  all  reserve,  I  readily  gave  them.  I  had  em- 
braced the  old  view — the  world's  conversion  a 
thousand  years  before  the  advent;  and  answered 
him  accordingly.  His  reply  was :  "  Well,  Bro.  H., 
prove  it !  You  know  I  want  the  Bible  for  all  that 


A   FRIENDLY   INTERVIEW.  75 

I  receive."  "  Well,"  said  I ;  and,  taking  my  Bible, 
I  turned  to  the  20th  of  Revelation,  and  was  about 
to  read,  when  I  thouo-ht  I  would  examine  it 
again,  and  with  very  close  attention.  1  was  m  a 
deep  study.  Bro.  M.  was  waiting,  and  watching 
me  closely.  He  began  to  smile.  "  Why  do  n't  you 
read,  Bro.  H.?"  said  he.  I  was  astonished  ;  for  I 
could  not  make  it  out.  At  last  I  said  :  "  I  go 
home  next  Monday.  I  will  draw  the  passages 
off,  and  hand  them  to  you  when  I  return."  I 
took  some  four  days  for  it,  and  gave  him  a  long 
list  of  passages.  He  read  them,  and  said  :  "  Bro. 
H.,  what  has  become  of  your  old  theory  ?  This 
is  mine."  "  Well,"  said  I,  "it  is  mine,  too."  In  my 
examination,  my  theory  had  been  overturned, 
and  I  came  out  where  I  now  stand. 

'• '  One  thing  I  observed  in  Bro.  M.'s  character ; 
If  he  ever  dealt  harshly  with  a  brother  for  hold- 
ing an  error,  it  was  because  he  saw,  or  thought 
he  saw,  a  spirit  of  self-importance  in  him.' 

"  The  labors  of  Elder  Hendryx  were  attended 
with  a  blessing,  as  appears  from  a  letter  of  Mr. 
Miller's  to  him,  dated  August  0,  1831.  In  it  he 
says  : — 

" '  The  Lord  is  pouring  out  his  Spirit  among 
us,  but  not  in  so  powerful  a  manner  as  I  could 
wish.  Baptism  has  been  administered  every 
Sabbath  but  one  since  you  were  here.  Two  or 
three  have  obtained  hope  every  week." 

''As  Mr.  Miller's  opinions  respecting  the  near- 
ness and  nature  of  the  millennium  became  known, 
they  naturally  elicited  a  good  deal  of  comment 
among  his  friends  and  neighbors,  and  also  among 
those  at  a  distance.  Some  of  their  remarks,  not 
the  most  complimentary  to  his  sanity,  would  oc- 
casionally be  repeated  to  liim. 


76  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"  Having  heard  that  a  physician  in  his  neigh- 
borhood had  said  '  Esquire  Miller/  as  he  was  fa- 
miliarly called,  '  was  a  fine  man  and  a  good  neigh- 
bor, but  was  a  monomaniac  on  the  subject  of  the 
advent,'  Mr.  M.  was  humorously  inclined  to  let 
him  prescribe  for  his  case. 

"  One  of  his  children  being  sick  one  day,  he 
sent  for  the  doctor,  who,  after  prescribing  for  the 
child,  noticed  that  Mr.  Miller  was  very  mute  in 
one  corner,  and  asked  what  ailed  him. 

"  '  Well,  I  hardly  know,  doctor.  I  want  you 
to  see  what  does,  and  prescribe  for  me.' 

"  The  doctor  felt  of  his  pulse,  &c.,  and  could 
not  decide  respecting  his  malady ;  and  inquired 
what  he  supposed  was  his  complaint. 

" '  Well,'  said  Mr.  Miller,  '  I  do  n't  know  but  I 
am  a  monomaniac;  and  I  want  you  to  examine 
me,  and  see  if  I  am ;  and  if  so,  cure  me.  Can 
you  tell  when  a  man  is  a  monomaniac  ?' 

"  The  doctor  blushed,  and  said  he  thought  he 
could. 

"  Mr.  Miller  wished  to  know  how. 

"  '  Why,'  said  the  doctor,  '  a  monomaniac  is  ra- 
tional on  all  subjects  but  one;  and  when  you 
touch  that  particular  subject,  he  will  become 
raving.' 

" '  Well,'  said  Mr.  Miller,  '  I  insist  upon  it  that 
you  see  whether  I  am  in  reality  a  monomaniac ; 
and  if  I  am,  you  shall  prescribe  for  and  cure  me. 
You  shall,  therefore,  sit  down  with  me  two  hours, 
while  I  present  the  subject  of  the  advent  to  you, 
and,  if  I  am  a  monomaniac,  by  that  time  you 
will  discover  it.' 

"  The  doctor  was  somewhat  disconcerted  ;  but 
Mr.  Miller  insisted,  and  told  him,  as  it  was  to 


A    FRIENDLY   INTERVIEW.  77 

present  the  state  of  his  mind,  he  might  charge 
for  his  time  as  in  regular  practice. 

"  The  doctor  finally  consented  ;  and,  at  Mr„ 
Miller's  request,  opened  the  Bible  and  read  from 
the  8th  of  Daniel.  As  he  read  along,  Mr.  Miller 
inquired  what  the  ram  denoted,  with  the  other 
symbols  presented.  The  doctor  had  read  Newton, 
and  applied  them  to  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome,  as 
Mr.  Miller  did. 

"  Mr.  Miller  then  inquired  how  long  the  vision 
of  those  empires  was  to  be. 

" '  2300  days.' 

"  '  What !'  said  Mr.  Miller,  '  could  those  great 
empires  cover  only  2300  literal  days  ?' 

"  '  Why,'  said  the  doctor,  '  those  days  are  years, 
according  to  all  commentators ;  and  those  king- 
doms  are  to  continue  2300  years.' 

"  Mr.  M.  then  asked  him  to  turn  to  the  2d  of 
Daniel,  and  to  the  7th  ;  all  of  which  he  explained 
the  same  as  Mr.  Miller.  He  was  then  asked  if 
he  knew  when  the  2300  days  would  end.  He 
did  not  know,  as  he  could  not  tell  when  they 
commenced. 

"  Mr.  Miller  told  him  to  read  the  9th  of  Daniel. 
He  read  down  till  he  came  to  the  21st  verse, 
when  Daniel  saw  '  the  man  Gabriel,'  whom  he 
had  '  seen  in  the  vision.' 

" '  In  what  vision  V  Mr.  Miller  inquired. 

" '  Why,'  said  the  doctor,  '  in  the  vision  of  the 
8th  of  Daniel. " 

" '  Wherefore,  understand  the  matter  and  con- 
sider the  vision.'  He  had  now  come,  then,  to 
make  him  understand  that  vision,  had  he  ?" 

" '  Yes,'  said  the  doctor. 

" '  Well,  seventy  weeks  are  determined ;  what 
are  these  seventy  weeks  a  part  of?' 


78  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

" '  Of  tlie  2300  days.' 

" '  Then  do  they  begin  with  the  2300  days  ?' 

"  '  Yes/  said  the  doctor. 

'•' '  When  did  they  end  ?' 

" '  In  A.  D.  33.' 

"  '  Then  how  far  would  the  2300  extend  after 
33?" 

"  The  doctor  subtracted  490  from  2300,  and  re- 
plied, 1810.     '  Why,'  said  he,  '  that  is  past.' 

"'But,'  said  Mr.  Miller,  'there  were  1810  from 
33  ;  in  what  year  would  that  come  ?' 

"  The  doctor  saw  at  once  that  the  33  should  be 
added,  and  set  down  33  and  1810,  and,  adding 
them,  replied,  1843. 

"  At  this  unexpected  result  the  doctor  settled 
back  in  his  chair  and  colored ;  but  immediately 
took  his  hat  and  left  the  house  in  a  rage. 

"  The  next  day  he  again  called  on  Mr,  Miller, 
and  looked  as  though  he  had  been  in  the  greatest 
mental  agony. 

" '  Why,  Mr.  Miller,'  said  he,  "  I  am  going  to 
hell.  I  have  not  slept  a  wink  since  I  was  here 
yesterday.  I  have  looked  at  the  question  in 
every  light,  and  the  vision  must  terminate  about 
A.  D.  1843  ;  and  I  am  unprepared,  and  must  go 
to  hell.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  calmed  him,  and  pointed  him  to 
the  ark  of  safety ;  and  in  about  a  week,  calling 
each  day  on  Mr.  M.,  he  found  peace  to  his  soul, 
and  went  on  his  way  rejoicing,  as  great  a  onono- 
mnaniac  as  Mr.  Miller.  He  afterward  acknowl- 
edged that,  till  he  made  the  figures  1843,  he  had 
no  idea  of  the  result  to  which  he  was  cominsf. 


COMMENCEMENT   OF    PUBLIC   LABORS.  79 


CHAPTER    IV. 

COMMENCEMENT  OF  PUBLIC  LABORS — PUBLISHES  HIS  VIEWS 
IN  PAMPHLET — INTERVIEW  ON  THE  HUDSON  RIVER 
BOAT — HIS  REGARD  FOR  THE  BIBLE — CORRESPONDENCE 
— BECOMES  A  LICENSED  PREACHER — LETTER  ON  UNI- 
VERSALISM — RECORD   OF   HI:*   LABORS. 

"The  public  labors  of  Mr.  Miller,  according 
to  the  best  evidence  to  be  obtained,  date  from 
the  autumn  of  183].  He  had  continued  to  be 
much  distressed  respecting  his  duty  to  '  go  and 
tell  it  to  the  world,'  -which  was  constantly  im- 
pressed on  his  mind.  One  Saturday,  after  break- 
fast, he  sat  down  at  his  desk  to  examine  some 
point,  and,  as  he  arose  to  go  out  to  work,  it  came 
home  to  him  with  more  force  than  ever,  '  Go  and 
tell  it  to  the  world.'     He  thus  writes : — 

" '  The  impression  was  so  sudden,  and  came  with 
such  force,  that  I  settled  down  into  my  chair, 
saying,  I  can't  go,  Lord.  Why  not  ?  seemed 
to  be  the  response ;  and  then  all  my  excuses 
came  up — my  want  of  ability,  Szc. ;  but  my  dis- 
tress became  so  great,  I  entered  into  a  solemn 
covenant  with  God,  that  if  he  would  open  the 
way,  I  would  go  and  perform  my  duty  to  the 
world.  What  do  you  mean  by  opening  the 
way  ?  seemed  to  come  to  me.  Why,  said  I,  if 
I  should  have  an  invitation  to  speak  publicly  in 
any  place  I  will  go  and  tell  them  what  I  find  in 
the  Bible  about  the  Lord's  coming.  Instantly, 
all  my  burden  was  gone,  and  I  rejoiced  that  I 
should  not  probably  be  thus  called  upon ;  for  I 
had  never  had  such  an  invitation.  My  trials 
were  not  known,  and  I  had  but  little  expectation 
of  being  invited  to  any  field  of  labor. 


80  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"'  In  about  halt' an  liour  from  this  timo,  before 
I  had  left  the  room,  a  son  of  Mr.  Guilford,  of 
Dresden,  about  sixteen  miles  from  my  residence, 
came  in,  and  said  that  his  father  had  sent  for  me, 
and  wished  me  to  go  home  with  him.  Suppos- 
ing that  he  wished  to  see  me  on  some  business,  I 
asked  him  what  he  wanted.  He  replied  that 
there  was  to  be  no  preaching  in  their  church  the 
next  day,  and  his  father  wished  to  have  me  come 
and  talk  to  the  people  on  the  subject  of  the 
Lord's  coming.  I  was  immediately  angry  with 
myself  for  having  made  the  covenant  I  had ;  I 
rebelled  at  once  against  the  Lord,  and  determined 
not  to  go.  I  left  the  boy,  without  giving  him 
any  answer,  and  retired  in  great  distress  to  a 
grove  near  by.  There  I  struggled  with  the  Lord 
about  an  hour,  endeavoring  to  release  myself 
from  the  covenant  I  had  made  with  him ;  but  I 
could  get  no  relief.  It  was  impressed  upon  my 
conscience,  Will  you  make  a  covenant  with  God, 
and  break  it  so  soon  ?  and  the  exceeding  sinful- 
ness of  thus  doing  overwhelmed  me.  I  finally 
submitted,  and  promised  the  Lord  that,  if  he 
would  sustain  me,  I  would  go,  trusting  in  him  to 
give  me  grace  and  ability  to  perform  all  he 
should  require  of  me.  I  returned  to  the  house, 
and  found  the  boy  still  waiting.  He  remained 
till  after  dinner,  and  I  returned  with  him  to 
Dresden. 

"'The  next  day,  which,  as  nearly  as  I  can  re- 
member, was  about  the  first  Sabbath  in  August, 
1831,  I  delivered  my  first  public  lecture  on  the 
second  advent.  The  house  was  well  filled  with 
an  attentive  audience.  As  soon  as  I  commenced 
speaking,  all  my  diffidence  and  embarrassment 
were  gone,  and  I  felt  impressed  only  with  the 


FIRST   PUBLIC   LECTURE.  81 

greatness  of  the  subject,  which,  by  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  I  was  enabled  to  present.  At  the 
close  of  the  services  on  the  Sabbath,  I  was  re- 
quested to  remain  and  lecture  during  the  week, 
with  which  request  I  complied.  They  Hocked 
in  from  the  neighboring  towns ;  a  revival  com- 
menced, and  it  was  said  that  in  thirteen  families 
all  but  two  persons  were  hopefully  converted. 

"  '  On  the  Monday  following,  I  returned  home, 
and  found  a  letter  from  Eld.  Fuller,  of  Poultney, 
Vt.,  requesting  me  to  go  and  lecture  there  on  the 
same  subject.  They  had  not  heard  of  my  going 
to  Dresden.  I  went  to  Poultney,  and  lectured 
there  with  similar  effect. 

"  '  From  thence  I  went  by  invitation  to  Pawlet, 
and  other  towns  in  that  vicinity.  The  churches 
of  Congregational ists,  Baptists,  and  Methodists, 
were  thrown  open.  In  almost  every  place  I  vis- 
ited, my  labors  resulted  in  the  reclaiming  of 
backsliders,  and  the  conversion  of  sinners.  I  was 
usually  invited  to  fields  of  labor  by  the  ministers 
of  the  several  congregations  whom  I  visited,  who 
gave  me  their  countenance ;  and  I  have  never 
labored  in  any  place  to  which  I  was  not  previous- 
ly invited.  The  most  pressing  invitations  from 
the  ministry  and  the  leading  members  of  the 
churches  poured  in  continually  from  that  time, 
during  the  whole  period  of  my  public  labors,  and 
with  more  than  one-half  of  which  I  was  unable 
to  comply.  Churches  were  thrown  open  every- 
where, and  I  lectured,  to  crowded  houses,  through 
the  western  part  of  Vermont,  the  northren  part 
of  New  York,  and  in  Canada  East ;  and  powerful 
reformations  were  the  result  of  my  labor.' 

"  Soon  after  he  began  to  lecture  on  the  subject. 

Miller.  6 


82  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

Mr.  Miller  began  to  be  importuned  to  write  out 
and  publish  his  view.  In  a  letter  to  Elder  Hen- 
dryx,  dated  January  25,  1832,  he  says  : — 

"'I  have  written  a  few  numbers  on  the  coming 
of  Christ  and  the  final  destruction  of  the  beast, 
when  his  body  shall  be  given  to  the  burning 
flame.  They  may  appear  in  the  Vermont  Tele- 
grajih ;  if  not,  in  pamphlet  form.  They  are  writ- 
ten in  letters  to  Elder  Smith  of,  Poultney,  and 
he  has  liberty  to  publish.' 

"  On  the  same  occasion,  he  adds  :  '  I  am  more 
and  more  astonished  at  the  harmony  and  strength 
of  the  word  of  God ;  and  the  more  I  read,  the 
more  I  see  of  the  folly  of  the  infidel  in  rejecting 
this  word.' 

"  The  articles  referred  to  were  sent  as  anony- 
mous to  the  editor  of  the  Telegraph,  who  declined 
their  publication  unless  informed  of  the  name  of 
the  writer.  This  being  communicated  to  him, 
they  appeared,  in  a  series  of  sixteen  articles,  over 
the  initials  of  W.  M.  The  first  article  was  pub- 
lished in  the  paper  of  May  15,  1832,  and  they 
caused  much  conversation  and  discussion. 

"  Soon  after  this,  he  addressed  another  letter 
to  Elder  Hendryx,  which  is  so  quaintly  written, 
contains  so  much  of  general  interest,  and  is  so  il- 
lustrative of  his  habits  of  thought  and  modes  of 
expression,  that  it  is  here  given  : — 

"  'Hajipton,  March  26,  1832. 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Hendryx  : — I  received  your  fa- 
vor of  the  19th  inst.  day  before  yesterday,  and 
should  have  begun  to  answer  it  then,  but,  on 
coming  home,  I  found  Bro.  D.  at  my  house,  a  li- 
centiate from  Hamilton,  who  came  on  purpose  to 
learn  these  strange  notions  of  "  crazy  Miller,"  or 


LABORS    IX   THE   CAUSE.  83 

at  least  to  save  Bro.  Miller,  if  possible,  from 
going  down  to  the  grave  with  such  an  error.  He 
was  a  stranger  to  me ;  but,  after  he  introduced 
himself,  we  went  to  work,  night  and  day,  and 
he  has  just  left  me, — Monday,  3  o'clock  p.  m.  He 
has  got  his  load,  and,  as  he  says,  he  never  was  so 
loaded  before. 

" '  You  may  say  this  is  boasting.  No,  no,  Bro. 
Hendryx,  you  know  better.  I  only  made  him 
read  the  Bible,  and  I  held  the  concordance.  No 
praise  to  me ;  give  God  the  glory.  At  any  rate, 
he  will  find  it  hard  to  resist  the  truth.  He  wants 
me  to  let  him  come  and  board  with  me,  two  or 
three  months,  to  study  the  Bible.  He  is  a  young 
man,  of  brilliant  talents ;  he  preached  two  ser- 
mons here  yesterday,  and  they  were  very  well 
done.  I  have  somebody  to  labor  with  almost 
daily.  I  have  been  into  Poultney,  and  some 
other  places,  to  lecture  on  the  coming  of  Christ ; 
and,  in  every  instance,  I  have  had  large  assem- 
blies. There  is  increasing  anxiety  on  the  subject 
in  this  quarter  ;  but  they  will  see  greater  signs  of 
these  times  soon,  so  that  Christians  will  believe 
in  his  coming  and  kingdom.  The  harvest  is 
about  closing  up,  and  the  wrath  of  God  is  about 
to  be  poured  upon  our  world.  Pestilence,  sword, 
and  famine,  will  succeed  each  other  in  swift  suc- 
cession, and  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  will  soon 
be  destroyed  by  the  "  stone  cut  out  ox  the  mount- 
ain without  hands."  Yes,  brother,  it  will  soon 
be  over  when  sinners  can  be  converted.  I  would, 
therefore,  advise  you  to  lead  your  hearers  by  slow 
and  sure  steps  to  Jesus  Christ. 

" '  I  say  sloiu,  because  I  expect  all  are  not 
strong  enough  to  run  yet ;  and  sure,  because  the 
Bible  is  a  sure  word  ;  and  where  your  hearers  are 


84  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

not  well  indoctrinated,  you  must  preach  Bible ; 
you  must  prove  all  things  by  Bible ;  you  must 
talk  Bible;  you  must  exhort  Bible;  you  must 
]}v&y  Bible;  and  love  Bible ;  and  do  all  in  your 
power  to  make  others  love  Bible,  too.  One  great 
means  to  do  good  is  to  make  your  ])arishioners 
sensible  that  you  are  in  earnest,  and  fully  and 
solemnly  believe  what  you  preach.  If  you  wish 
your  people  to  feel,  feel  yourself  If  you  wish 
them  to  believe  as  you  do,  show  them,  by  your 
constant  assiduity  in  teaching,  that  you  sincerely 
wish  it.  You  can  do  more  good  by  the  fireside, 
and  in  your  conference  circles,  than  in  the  pulpit. 
Pulpit  preaching  is,  and  has  long  been,  considered 
as  no  more  than  a  trade.  "  Why,  he  is  hired  to 
preach  I — he  must,  of  course,  tell  a  good  story," 
&c.,  &c.  And  the  very  reason  why  there  is  more 
good  done  in  conference  meetings  an  1  protracted 
meetings  is  simply  this :  The  god  of  this  world 
is  shut  out.  They  will  say.  He  expects  nothing 
for  this  ;  surely  our  salvation  is  his  anxious  desire. 
Reflections  of  this  sort  make  sti'ong  impressions 
of  conviction  on  the  mind.  If  this  man  of  God 
will  make  so  much  sacrifice,  surely  I  ought  to 
think,  at  least,  how  much  my  brother  has  my 
benefit  in  view  in  his  preaching. 

"'3Iay  20,  1832.  It  is  now  almost  two 
months  since  I  began  this  letter,  and  I  ought  to 
make  some  apology  for  my  long  neglect.  But  I 
hate  apologies ;  for  we  never  tell  the  whole  truth. 
You  have,  undoubtedly,  seen,  or  will  see,  two 
numbers  in  the  Telegraph  before  you  receive  this 
letter.  A  number  more  will  soon  follow.  I  ex- 
pect it  will  start  some  queries,  if  nothing  more. 
There  is  much  opposition  expressed  by  some  who 
ought  to  have  taught  the  same  things.     But  peo- 


PUBLIC    LABORS.  85 

}>le  will  think  and  reflect;  and  truth  will  in 
the  end  prevail.  ]Jo  come,  on  the  13th  and  14th 
of  June,  to  our  Association.  I  expect  Bro.  Saw- 
yer will  be  ordained  then.  Do  come.  I  have 
much  to  say  to  you ;  but  I  cannot  write  as  I 
wish 

" '  I  have  just  come  from  a  prayer-meeting  this 
morning,  at  our  school-house,  at  sunrise.  We  are 
praying  for  the  second  coming  of  our  dear  Re- 
deemer, when  the  "  sanctuary  will  be  cleansed." 
Pray  with  us,  my  brother.  I  am  more  and 
more  satisfied  that  the  end  of  the  world  is  at 
hand.  The  evidence  flows  in  from  every  quarter 
"  The  earth  is  reeling  to  and  fro,  like  a  drunkard." 
One  short  year  ago,  and  Zion  was  rejoicing  with 
her  multiplied  converts ;  now  she  is  down  "  by 
the  cold  streams  of  Babylon."  One  year  since,  and 
we  were  enjoying  a  plentiful  harvest;  now  we 
are  sleeping  in  the  cold,  and  the  staff  of  life  is 
neglected.  Is  the  harvest  over  and  past  ?  If  so, 
soon,  very  soon,  God  will  arise  in  his  anger,  and 
the  vine  of  the  earth  will  be  reaped.  See,  see  ! — 
the  angel  with  his  sharp  sickle  is  about  to  take 
the  field !  See  yonder  trembling  victim  fall  be- 
fore his  pestilential  breath  !  High  and  low,  rich 
and  poor,  trembling  and  falling  before  the  appall- 
ing grave,  the  dreadful  cholera. 

"  '  Hark  ! — hear  those  dreadful  bellowings  of 
the  angry  nations  !  It  is  the  presage  of  horrid 
and  terrific  war.  Look ! — look  again  !  See 
crowns,  and  kings,  and  kinofdoms  tumbling  to 
the  dust !  See  lords  and  nobles,  captains  and 
mighty  men,  all  arming  for  the  bloody,  demon 
fight !  See  the  carnivorous  fowls  fly  screaming 
through  the  air !  See — see  these  signs  !  Behold, 
the  heavens  grow  black  with  clouds ;  the  sun  has 


86  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

veiled  himself;  the  moon,  ]>ale  and  forsaken, 
hangs  in  middle  air ;  the  hail  descends  ;  the  seven 
thunders  utter  loud  their  voices ;  the  lightnings 
send  their  vivid  gleams  of  sulphurous  flame 
abroad  ;  and  the  great  city  of  the  nations  falls  to 
rise  no  more  forever  and  forever !  At  this  dread 
moment,  look  !  look  ! — O,  look  and  see  !  What 
means  that  ray  of  light  ?  The  clouds  have  burst 
asunder ;  the  heavens  appear ;  the  great  white 
throne  is  in  sight !  Amazement  fills  the  universe 
with  awe  !  He  comes  ! — he  comes  !  Behold,  the 
Saviour  comes !  Lift  up  your  heads,  ye  saints, 
— he  comes  ! — he  comes  ! — he  comes  ! 

" '  Wm.  Miller.' 

"  A  letter  written  about  the  same  time  with 
the  above,  to  a  sister  of  Mr.  Miller's  whose  hus- 
band was  a  Universalist,  is  particularly  severe  on 
those  sentiments.  Beginning  with  subjects  of 
mere  family  interest,  he  proceeds  to  those  of  a 
religious  ;  and,  in  speaking  of  the  nearness  of  the 
advent,  he  says  : — 

" '  I  now  tell  you  that  I  am  more  and  more  con- 
vinced of  its  truth.  I  have  lectured  on  it,  in  a 
number  of  places  this  winter,  and  many  people 
believe  that  the  calculation  is  right.  Some  are 
afraid  of  it,  and  others  will  not  believe ;  but  among 
them  all  it  makes  a  great  deal  of  talk.  Some 
say  Esq.  Miller  is  crazy ;  others,  that  he  is  a  fool 
— and  neither  of  them  are  wide  from  the  truth. 
Bat  Bro.  J.  and  sister  A.  will  say,  "  We  wish  Bro. 
William  would  let  that  subject  alone.  We  do 
not  want  to  hear  so  much  about  Christ's  second 
coming,  the  end  of  the  world,  the  judgment-day, 
and  the  destruction  of  the  wicked.  He  knows  no 
more  about  it  than  the  man  in  the  moon."  So 
say  I.     But  the  Bible  tells  us ;  and  that  will  never 


UNIVERSALISM.  87 

fail.  You  will  see,  witliin  a  few  weeks,  some 
numbers  in  the  Vermont  Telegraph,  signed  W.  M. 
Read,  and  then  judge.  If  it  is  not  printed  in  the 
paper,  I  will  send  it  to  you  in  pamphlet  form.  I 
think  it  will  be  printed,  at  any  rate. 

" '  I  want  to  know  if  J is  a  TJniversalist 

yet;  and,  if  so,  whether  he  can  tell  me  who  are 
the  partakers  of  the  second  death,  and  what  the 
second  death  is  ?  You  will  find  the  description 
of  them  in  Rev.  20th  chapter,  and  21 :  8.  Be  sure 
you  are  not  deceived,  Bro,  J. ;  for  the  time  is 
shortly  coming  that  will  try  every  man's  work, 
whether  it  be  good  or  evil ;  and  if  you  love  the 
Lord  Jesus,  show  your  love  by  believing  his  word, 
and  being  reconciled  to  his  word  and  will.  How 
little  love  to  Christ  do  we  show  when  we  are  un- 
reconciled to  his  justice,  his  word,  or  the  right- 
eous judgment  of  God  on  the  finally  impenitent ! 
Yes,  brother;  it  is  not  contrary  to  the  carnal 
mind  of  man  to  be  happy,  if  we  can  be  happy  in 
our  own  way.  Neither  should  we  be  very  angry 
with  God,  if  he  made  all  others  so,  if  we  thought 
that  was  the  only  hope  for  us.  But  if  the  Uni- 
versalists  could  contrive  any  plan  that  would  be 
plausible,  to  save  themselves  and  condemn  the 
Calvinists,  or  those  who  preach  endless  misery, 
their  actions  show  that  they  would  do  it  quickly ; 
or  why  do  they  rail  at  those  who  preach  as  Christ 
did  ?  "  Except  a  man  is  born  again  he  cannot 
see  the  kingdom  of  God."  "  And  these  shall  go 
away  into  everlasting  punishment."  Why  do 
they  oppose  those  meetings  where  souls  are 
brought  to  cry  out,  as  in  the  days  of  the  apos- 
tles, "  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  to  be 
saved  ? "  Did  you  ever  hear  such  a  cry  in  a  TJni- 
versalist  meeting: — where   brethren   and    sisters 


Ob  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

were  all  together  in  prayer,  with  one  accord  j^ray- 
ing  and  agonizing  for  the  souls  of  their  brethren 
according  to  the  tlesh  ?     No  • 

" '  Do  you  think  they  are  fools,  brother  William  ? 
You  know  they  do  not  believe  in  damnation, 
They  preach  all  men  will  be  saved.'  '  Ah,  ha  ! 
What  fools  the  apostles  were !  If  they  had 
preached  tlms  they  would  have  saved  many  a 
bitter  cry;  and  Father  Paul  might  have  saved 
himself  many  a  bitter  groan  in  endeavoring  to 
save  his  kinsmen  according  to  the  flesh,  and  not 
have  wished  himself  accursed  from  Christ  for 
their  sakes.  I  really  wish — if  it  is  true  that  all 
men  will  be  saved — that  Paul  had  known  it  be- 
fore he  made  that  expression,  that  he  might  save 
"  some,"  when  he  might  have  said  that  he  had 
the  promise  of  God  that  "  all "  would  be  saved. 
Paul  must  have  been  as  crazy  as  Bro.  William. 
Oh,  how  many  long  arguments  it  would  have 
saved,  how  many  twistings  of  texts,  and  wind- 
ings and  turnings,  if  Paul,  Peter,  John,  Matthew, 
Mark,  Luke,  Jude,  and  even  Christ,  had  not  said 
anything  about  two  classes  of  mankind  in  a  future 
state,  and  nothing  about  punishment  being  ever- 
lasting !  But  the  Universalist  is  wiser  than  all 
these,  now-a-days ;  for  they  do  not  preach  so  now, 
do  they  J ?  Wm.  Miller. 

'"  March  S7, 1832.' 

"  During  the  summer  of  1832,  Mr.  Miller  ap- 
pears to  have  been  much  engaged  in  attending 
protracted  meetings,  which  were  at  that  time  very 
common  in  many  parts  of  the  country.  Under 
date  of  'Hampton,  Oct.  1,  1832,'  he  wrote  to  El- 
der Hendryx : — 

"'   .    .    .    When  your  letter  arrived,  I  was  at- 


CORRESPOXDENCE.  89 

tending  a  protracted  meeting  in  Westport ;  and 
the  next  day  after  I  got  home  I  went  to  Poultney 
to  attend  one  there,  I  went  to  Keesville  to  at- 
tend one  as  soon  as  we  left  Poultney,  and  only  ar- 
rived home  last  Saturday I  have  s})ent 

a  great  share  of  my  time  in  attending  protracted 
meetings  this  summer  and  fall.' 

"  In  the  same  letter  he  thus  exhibi  ts  his  fond- 
ness for  the  Bible,  and  points  out  the  great  doc- 
trines which  he  believed  it  inculcated  : — 

" '  I  want  to  see  you  more  than  ever,  and  when 
we  have  less  company.  The  light  is  continually 
breaking  in ;  and  I  am  more  and  more  confirmed 
in  those  things  of  which  I  told  you,  namely,  re- 
demption by  grace ;  the  efficacy  of  Christ's  blood  ; 
justification  by  his  righteousness  imputed  to  us ; 
sanctification  through  the  operation  of  the  divine 
Spirit ;  and  the  glorification  by  our  gathering  to- 
gether unto  him  at  his  appearing.  I  also  believe 
those  things  to  be  founded  upon  election,  particu- 
lar, personal,  and  certain ;  governed  by  the  mind, 
will,  and  plan  of  God,  which  was,  is,  and  wdll  be 
eternal ;  and  which  is  revealed  to  us  so  far  as  to 
give  us  confidence,  hope,  and  full  assurance  that 
nothing  in  the  divine  plan,  either  of  the  means 
or  end,  can  or  will  fail  of  their  accomplishment.' 

"  The  church  in  Low  Hampton  being  destitute 
of  a  pastor,  in  a  letter  to  the  same,  dated  Nov, 
17,  1832,  Mr,  Miller  describes  the  kind  of  minis- 
ter they  wished  for : — 

"  '  We  do  not  want  one  who  thinks  much  of  his 
own  gifts,  and  is  lifted  up  with  pride ;  neither 
do  we  want  a  novice — I  mean,  a  fool ;  one  who 
knows  nothing  about  the  gospel  of  Christ,  We 
want  one  who  will  stir  up  our  minds,  will  visit, 
is  good  to  learn,  apt  to  teach,  modest,  unassum- 


90  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

ing,  pious,  devotional,  and  faithful  to  his  calling. 
If  his  natural  talents  ai'e  brilliant,  with  those 
qualifications,  they  would  not  hurt  him.  If  they 
are  only  moderate,  they  may  do  well  enough  for 
us.  Some  of  our  people  want  "a  quick  gab." 
But  I  should  prefer  a  quick  understanding.  .  . 
.    .    I  set  out  for  Salem  to-morrow  morning.' 

"  In  a  letter  to  the  same,  dated  Hampton,  Feb. 
8,  1833,  he  writes :  '  The  Lord  is  scattering  the 
seed.  I  can  now  reckon  eight  ministers  who 
preach  this  doctrine,  more  or  less,  besides  your- 
self I  know  of  more  than  one  hundred  private 
brethren  who  say  that  they  have  adopted  my 
views.  Be  that  as  it  may,  "  truth  is  mighty  and 
will  prevail."  If  I  should  get  my  views  printed, 
how  many  can  you  dispose  of,  in  pamphlet  form  ? 
.  .  .  Our  people  are  about  giving  me  a  license 
to  lecture.  I  hardly  know  what  to  do.  I  am 
too  old,  too  wicked,  and  too  proud.  I  want  your 
advice.     Be  plain,  and  tell  me  the  whole  truth.' 

"  Shortly  after,  he  published  his  views,  in  a 
pamphlet  of  sixty-four  pages,  entitled :  '  Evi- 
dences from  Scripture  and  History  of  the  Second 
Coming  of  Christ,  about  the  year  1843  ;  and  of 
his  Personal  Reign  of  One  Thousand  Years.  By 
William  Miller.  "  Prove  all  things ;  hold  fast 
that  which  is  good."  1  Thess.  5  :  21.  Brandon, 
Vermont,  Telegraph  Office,  1833.' 

"  Soon  after  the  publication  of  this  pamphlet, 
he  had  occasion  to  visit  the  city  of  New  York. 
As  he  was  passing  down  the  Hudson,  in  a  steam- 
boat, a  company  of  men  standing  near  him  were 
conversing  respecting  the  wonderful  improve- 
ments of  the  day.  One  of  them  remarked  that 
it  was  impossible  for  things  to  progress  for  thir- 
ty years  to  come  in  the  same  ratio  as  they  had 


INTERVIEW    ON    A    STEAMER.  91 

done;  'for,'  said  he,  'man  will  attain  to  some- 
thing more  than  human.'  Mr.  Miller  replied  to 
him  that  it  reminded  him  of  Dan.  12 : 4,  '  Many- 
shall  run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  shall  be  in- 
creased.' A  pause  ensuing,  Mr.  M.  continued,  and 
observed  that  the  improvements  of  the  present 
day  were  just  what  we  should  expect  at  this  time 
in  the  fulfillment  of  Daniel's  prophecy.  He  then 
commenced  with  the  11th  chapter  of  Daniel,  and, 
comparing  the  prophecy  with  the  history,  showed 
its  fulfillment,  all  listening  with  close  attention. 

"  He  then  remarked,  that  he  had  not  intended 
trespassing  so  long  on  their  patience,  and,  leav- 
ing them,  walked  to  the  other  end  of  the  boat. 
The  entire  company  followed,  and  wished  to  hear 
more  on  the  subject.  He  then  then  took  up  the 
2d,  7th,  8th,  and  9th,  chapters  of  Daniel.  His 
hearers  wished  to  know  if  he  had  ever  written 
on  the  subject.  He  told  them  that  he  had  pub- 
lished the  above  pamphlet,  and  distributed  among 
them  what  copies  he  had  with  him. 

"  This  was  one  of  his  first  audiences,  and  some 
gentlemen  of  high  standing  listened  to  his  remarks. 
He  scattered  the  most  of  his  pamphlets  gratuitous- 
ly, sending  them  as  a  response  to  letters  of  inqui- 
ry respecting  his  views,  and  to  places  which  he 
could  not  visit.  Under  date  of  April  10,  1833, 
in  writing  to  Elder  Hendryx,  and  speaking  of 
the  evil  of  resorting  to  excommunication  from  the 
church  for  slight  causes,  in  view  of  a  particular 
case,  he  says  : — 

"'Is  the  remedy  better  than  the  disease? 
Should  we  cut  off  a  man's  lesc  because  he  has  a 
thorn  in  his  toe  ?  I  think  not.  Should  we  set 
a  wheat  field  on  fire  and  burn  the  whole  crop,  be- 
cause of  a  few  tares  in  the  field  ?     No ;  let  both 


92  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

grow  until  the  liarvest.  Oh,  how  niiich  injury 
is  done  in  church  discii)line  !  The  hypocrite  uses 
it  as  a  tool  to  make  others  think  that  he  is  very 
pious.  The  envious  use  it  as  a  weapon  to  bring 
down  those  they  imagine  are  getting  above  them. 
The  bigot  uses  it  to  bring  others  to  his  faith ; 
and  the  sectarian,  to  bring  others  to  his  creed, 
&c.  But,  my  dear  brother,  how  many  difficulties 
do  you  think  we  have  in  our  churches  where  the 
spirit  of  Christ  is  manifested  through  the  whole 
trial,  or  where  it  began  with  "  Father,  forgive 
them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do  "  ?  There- 
fore, I  can  frankly  and  honestly  say  that  the  rem- 
edy which  has  been  applied  to  cure  this  moral 
disease  is  worse,  a  thousand  times  worse,  than  the 
original  cause.' 

"  In  the  same  letter,  he  says :  '  We  have  no 
preacher,  as  yet,  except  the  old  man  [Mr.  M.] 
with  his  concordance.  Last  Sunday  I  tried  to 
hold  forth  the  truth  from  Isa.  65 :  25 ;  the  Sab- 
bath before,  from  the  same  chapter,  verses  17-19. 
I  wish  I  had  the  tongue  of  an  Apollos,  and  the 
mental  power  of  a  Paul;  what  a  field  might  I 
not  explore ;  and  what  powerful  arguments  might 
be  brought  to  prove  the  authenticity  of  the 
Scriptures !  But  I  want  one  thing  more  than 
either — the  Spirit  of  Christ  and  of  God ;  for  he 
is  able  to  take  worms  and  thresh  mountains.  0 
my  brother,  let  us  pray  for  each  other,  especially 
on  the  Sabbath,  each  that  the  Lord  would  bestow 
this  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  other.  Per- 
adventure  the  Lord  will  ansvrer.' 

"  In  the  same  letter  he  thus  expresses  his  re- 
gard for  the  word  of  God :  '  0  may  the  Bible  be 
to  us  a  rock,  a  pillar,  a  compass,  a  chart,  a  statute, 
a  directory,  a  polar  star,  a  traveler's  guide,  a  pil- 


EXCELLENCE   OF   THE   SCKIPTUKES.  93 

grim's  companion,  a  shield  of  faith,  a  ground  of 
hope,  a  history,  a  chronology,  an  armory,  a  store- 
house, a  mirror,  a  toilet,  a  closet,  a  prayer-book, 
an  epistle,  a  love  letter,  a  friend,  a  foe,  a  revenue, 
a  treasury,  a  bank,  a  fountain,  a  cistern,  a  garden, 
a  lodge,  a  field,  a  haven,  a  sun,  a  moon,  a  star,  a 
door,  a  window,  a  light,  a  lamp,  a  luminary,  a 
morning,  a  noon,  an  evening,  an  hour-glass,  a 
daysman,  a  servant. 

" '  It  is  meat,  food,  drink,  raiment,  shelter, 
warmth,  heat,  a  feast,  fruit,  apples,  pictures,  wine, 
milk,  honey,  bread,  butter,  oil,  refreshment,  rest, 
strength,  stability,  wisdom,  life,  eyes,  ears,  hands, 
feet,  breath  ;  it  is  a  help  to  hearing,  seeing,  feeling, 
tasting,  smelling,  vmderstanding,  forgiving,  loving, 
hoping,  enjoying,  adoring,  and  saving;  it  teaches 
salvation,  justification,  sanctification,  redemption, 
and  glorification ;  it  declares  condemnation,  de- 
struction and  desolation  ;  it  tells  us  what  we  were, 
are,  and  shall  be ;  begins  with  the  beginning, 
carries  us  through  the  intermediate,  and  ends  only 
with  the  end  ;  it  is  past,  present,  and  to  come  ;  it 
discovers  the  first  great  cause,  the  cause  of  all 
effects,  and  the  effects  of  all  causes ;  it  speaks  of 
life,  death,  and  judgment,  body,  soul,  and  spirit, 
Heaven,  earth,  and  hell ;  it  makes  use  of  all  nature 
as  figures,  to  sum  up  the  value  of  the  gospel ;  and 
declares  itself  to  be  the  Word  of  God.  And 
your  friend  and  brother  believes  it. 

"'William  Miller. 

'''Hampton,  April  10,  1833.' 

"  In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  Mr.  Miller  received 
a  license  to  preach,  from  the  church  of  which  he 
was  a  member,  as  follows  : — 

" '  Let  brotherly  love  continue :  the  Baptist 
church  of  Christ,  in  Hampton  and  Whitehall,  do 


94  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

certify  that  Bro.  William  Miller  is  a  member  in 
regular  standing  in  this  church.  Bro.  Miller  has 
been  improving  his  gifts  with  us  in  expound- 
ing the  words  of  divine  truth  in  public,  for  some 
time  past,  to  the  approbation  and  edification  of 
the  church.  We  are  satisfied  that  Bro.  Miller  has 
a  gift  to  improve  in  public,  and  are  willing  he 
should  improve  the  same  wherever  his  lot  may 
be  cast  among  the  Zion  of  God,  that  the  name 
of  the  Lord  may  be  glorified,  and  his  followers 
edified.  Done  in  church  meeting,  Saturday,  Sept. 
14,  1833.  By  order  of  the  church. 
'"(Signed)  Byron  S.  Harlow, 

" '  Clerk,  pro  tern.' 

"In  a  letter  to  his  sister,  before  referred  to, 
written  two  days  subsequent  to  the  date  of  the 
above,  and  dated,  '  Low  Hampton,  Sept.  16, 1833,' 
he  speaks  of  the  above  license,  and  of  his  labors, 
as  follows : — 

"  '  I  have  just  returned  from  Dresden,  where  I 
have  been  to  spend  a  Sabbath,  and  to  preach  to 
them  the  word  of  life.  My  texts,  yesterday,  were 
Hosea  13:1;  Isa.  61:7;  and  Ps.  102:16.  .  .  . 
I  do  feel  anxious  to  come  and  see  you  ;  and,  if  the 
Lord  will,  and  your  people  should  not  object,  to 
try  to  speak  to  them  of  the  things  of  the  kingdom. 
My  brethren  have  given  me  a  license — unworthy 
and  old,  and  disobedient  as  I  am.  Oh,  to  grace 
how  great  a  debtor ! ' 

"  He  then  proceeds  with  matters  of  mere  fam- 
ily interests,  and  closes  with  the  following  exhort- 
ation to  his  brother-in-law,  respecting  the  doc- 
trine of  Universalism  : — 

" '  Just  as  sure  as  the  word  of  God  is  true,  de- 
pend upon  it,  universal  salvation  is  not  true. 
Was  this  what  David  saw  when  he  saw  the  end 


A    UNIVERSALIST    EXHORTED.  95 

of  the  wicked  ?  Enter  into  the  sanctuary  of 
your  own  conscience,  my  brother,  and  you  will 
find,  "  NO,"  responded  with  appalling  force.  En- 
ter into  the  sanctuary  of  God's  word,  and,  in  every 
page,  you  will  have  to  meet  this  little  word,  "  NO," 
or  declarations  as  plain.  "  Strive  to  enter  in  at 
the  strait  gate  ;  for  many  shall  seek  to  enter  in, 
and  shall  not  be  able." 

"'Look  at  Dan.  12:9,  10;  here  we  have  the 
end  described.  What  does  conscience  say  ?  Be 
careful,  my  brother  ;  remember  that  eternal  con- 
sequences hang  on  your  decision  ;  and  what  is  the 
answer  ?  "  Many  [not  all]  shall  be  purified,  and 
made  white,  and  tried  ;  but  the  wicked  shall  do 
wickedly ;  and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  under- 
stand." See  Mai.  4  : 1-3.  Where  are  the  wicked, 
the  proud,  and  all  that  do  wickedly  ?  Do  they 
enjoy  the  healing  beams  of  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness ?  No.  Again,  in  Matt.  13:49,  50.  Are 
the  wicked  permitted  to  dwell  with  the  just  ?  Is 
Heaven  and  happiness  their  abode  ?  Enter  into 
the  sanctuary,  and  what  do  you  hear  ?     No  !  No  ! 

" '  Again,  in  Matt.  25  :  12,  30,  and  46.  Do  the 
foolish  virgins  enter  in  to  the  ma,rriage  supper  ? 
or  are  they  ever  married  to  the  Lamb  ?  Ao  .'  Is 
the  unprofitable  servant  "  in  light  and  glory  "  ? 
No  !  Ao  .'  And  are  the  goats  enjoying  the  same 
communion  with  the  sheej>  ?  or  are  they  going 
"  into  life  eternal "  ?  No  !  No  !  NO  !  Read,  again, 
Rom,  1 :  18,  to  the  fifth  verse  of  the  second  chap- 
ter. Would  it  be  unjust  for  God  to  condemn  the 
characters  there  described  ?  Your  judgment  tells 
you.  No !  Your  conscience  responds  the  same 
answer,  No  !  Your  tongue  must  one  day  answer, 
NO  !  For  every  tongue  must  and  will  confess  to 
the  glory  of  God.     O  my  brother,  enter  into  the 


&6  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

sanctuary  and  knock  while  the  door  may  be 
opened ;  seek  while  you  may  find ;  look  while 
you  may  live ;  and  you  will  most  assuredly 
learn  "their  end!'  All  the  plausible  reasoning 
of  all  the  Universalists  under  the  whole  canopy 
of  heaven  cannot  save  one  soul.  "  Except  a  man 
is  born  of  the  Spirit  he  cannot  enter  the  kingdom 
of  God." ' 

"During  the  fall  of  1833,  and  the  ensuing 
winter,  Mr.  Miller  seems  to  have  been  constantly 
occupied  in  lecturing  in  Dresden  and  other  towns 
in  New  York  and  Vermont.  The  very  modest 
estimate  which  he  had  of  his  own  abilities  and 
qualifications  as  a  preacher,  is  apparent  in  all  his 
correspondence,  where  any  reference  is  made  to 
his  public  labors.  In  writing  to  Eld.  Hendry x, 
under  date  of  Low  Hampton,  Feb.  25,  1834,  he 
says : — 

"'You  have  undoubtedly  heard  that  I  have 
been  trying  to  preach  (as  some  call  it)  about  in 
this  vicinity.  I  have  been  laboring,  it  is  true,  in 
my  weak  manner,  in  Dresden,  two  or  three 
months ;  and  the  Lord  has  seen  fit  to  bless  us 
with  alittle  reformation.  I  have  likewise  preached 
in  Putnam,  Wrentham,  Poultney,and  in  this  place. 
You  laugh,  Bro.Hendryx,  to  think  old  Bro.  Miller 
is  preaching !  But  laugh  on ;  you  are  not  the 
only  one  that  laughs ;  and  it  is  all  right — I  de- 
serve it.  If  I  could  preach  the  truth,  it  is  all  I 
could  ask.' 

"  Being  now  recognized  as  a  regularly  licensed 
preacher  his  brother  Hendryx  naturally  addressed 
him  as  the  '  Rev.  William  Miller,'  To  a  letter 
thus  directed,  Mr.  Miller,  under  date  of '  Hampton, 
March  22,  1834,'  thus  replied  :— 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Hendryx  : — I  wish  you  would 


MINISTERIAL    TITLES.  97 

look  into  your  Bible  and  see  if  you  can  lind  the 
word  Rev.  applied  to  a  sinful  mortal  like  myself; 
and  govern  yourself  accordingly  ....  Let  us  be 
determined  to  live  and  die  on  the  Bible.  God  is 
about  to  rise  and  punish  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world.  The  proud,  the  high,  the  lofty,  must  be 
brought  low  ;  and  the  humble,  the  meek,  and  the 
contrite,  will  be  exalted.  Then,  what  care  I  for 
what  the  world  calls  great  or  honorable  ?  Give 
me  Jesus,  and  a  knowledge  of  his  word,  faith  in 
his  name,  hope  in  his  grace,  interest  in  his  love, 
and  let  me  be  clothed  in  his  righteousness,  and 
the  world  may  enjoy  all  the  high-sounding  titles, 
the  riches  it  can  boast,  the  vanities  it  is  heir  to, 
and  all  the  pleasures  of  sin ;  and  they  will  be  no 
more  than  a  drop  in  the  ocean. 

"  '  Yes,  let  me  have  Jesus  Christ,  and  then  van- 
ish all  earthly  toys.  What  glory  has  God  re- 
vealed in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ !  In  him  all 
power  centers.  In  him  all  power  dwells.  He  is 
the  evidence  of  all  truth,  the  fountain  of  all  mercy, 
the  giver  of  all  grace,  the  object  of  all  adoration, 
and  the  source  of  all  light ;  and  I  hope  to  enjoy 
him  to  all  eternity.  What !  such  a  sinful  wretch 
as  I  enjoy  Christ  ?  How  can  this  be  ?  Yes,  yes  ; 
through  the  electing  love  of  God,  the  sprinkling 
of  the  blood  of  the  covenant,  and  the  work  of  re- 
generation, such  a  sinner  as  I  may  be  cleansed 
from  sin,  purified,  and  made  white,  and  glorified 
in  the  New  Jerusalem,  together  with  him,  and 
with  all  who  love  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  and  who  love  his  appearing. 

"'Bro.  U.,  shall  you  and  I  appear  together  in 
that  general  assembly  and  church  of  the  first- 
born ?     If  God  will,  1  hope  we  shall  there  meet, 

Miller.  7 


98  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

to  part  no  more.  How  can  I  realize  the  glory 
that  will  there  be  manifested  ?  And  how  could 
I  bear  the  thought  to  be  banished  from  the  face 
of  Jesus,  and  from  the  glory  of  his  power  ?  Forbid 
it,  O  my  Redeemer  !  Forbid  !  and  let  grace  reign 
through  righteousness  unto  eternal  life,  by  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.' 

"  The  same  devotional  feelings  are  manifest  in 
all  his  epistles,  and  also  evince  that  he  experi- 
enced nearness  of  access  to  God,  and  grea,t  i-elig- 
ious  enjoyment. 

"  Mr,  Miller  kept  no  journal,  nor  any  record  of 
the  places  he  visited,  till  October,  1834.  Begin- 
ning at  a  place  called  '  The  Forks,'  supposed  to 
be  '  Moore's  Forks  '  in  Clinton  County,  N.  Y.,  the 
names  of  places  where,  the  dates  when,  and  the 
texts  from  which,  he  preached,  are  given  in  two 
small  memorandum-books  as  follows  : — 

TEXT.        TEXT. 

Luke  15:  18.  Eev.  8:13. 
Rev.  1  :  20.  Job  23  :  24. 
Dan.  8:  13,  14.  "  10:14. 
Dan.  8  :13,  14.  Rev.  20:6. 
1  Cor.  3:11. 

Rom.  8  :  6,  7.  Luke  15  :  18. 
Dan.  8:13,  14.  "  10:14. 
Rev.  20 :  6. 

"  After  visiting  the  above  places,  he  returned 
honie  to  Low  Hampton,  and  soon  after  wrote  to 
Eld,  Hendryx,  as  follows  : — 

"  '  North  Hampton,  Oct.  23,  1834. 

"  '  My  Dear  Brother  Hendryx  : — Your  favor 
of  Sept.  17  came  to  hand  while  I  was  absent  on  a 
tour  into  Clinton  County,  of  about  six  weeks.  I 
gave  thirty-six  lectures  on  the  second  coming  of 
Christ,  was  at  two  covenant  meetings,  attended 


"PLACE, 

TIME. 

Forks,  N.  Y., 

Oct.  1. 

Keesville,  N.  Y., 

"    5. 

BeekmantowD, 

"    6. 

Plattsburgb, 
Keesville, 

"  8. 
"11. 

'< 

"12. 

Westport, 

"  14. 

'15. 

CORRKSPONDEXCE.  99 

two  })rotracted  meetings  in  said  time,  saw  a  num- 
ber of  new-born  babes  in  Christ ;  and  now,  being 
at  home,  T  shall  write  to  Bro.  H.  and  rest  m3^self 
a  little. 

" '  I  am  every  day  more  convinced  that  the  whole 
word  of  God  is  given  for  our  instruction,  reproof, 
and  correction ;  and  that  the  prophecies  contain 
the  strongest  evidences  of  the  divinity  and  truth 
of  the  Bible  ;  and  present  to  saint  and  sinner  the 
strongest  motives  for  a  holy  life,  and  repentance 
and  faith  toward  God,  that  can  be  produced. 
When  John  preached  repentance,  he  prophesied 
that  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  was  at  hand,  as  a 
principal  motive.  The  apostles  prophesied  that 
God  had  appointed  a  day,  in  which  he  would 
judge  the  world  in  righteousness,  by  that  man, 
Jesus  Christ ;  and  your  unworthy  brother  in 
Christ  proclaims  that  the  day  is  at  hand,  when 
"  he  that  is  filthy  will  be  filthy  still,  and  he  that 
is  holy  will  be  holy  still ; "  and  that  Christ  is  now 
standing  at  the  door  and  knocking  for  the  last 
time.  And,  my  dear  brother,  I  can  truly  say  that 
"  the  testimony  of  Jesus  is  the  spirit  of  prophecy." 
And  yet  how  many  professed  ministers  of  Christ, 
at  the  present  day,  treat  that  part  of  the  word 
with  total  neglect,  and  even  laugh  and  jeer  at 
those  who  would  warn  the  people  of  their  ap- 
proaching danger.  But  God  has  supported  me 
beyond  my  most  sanguine  expectation.  And  al- 
though they  say  much  before  they  hear,  yet  when 
they  do  hear  they  seem  confounded. 

" '  The  evidence  is  so  clear,  the  testimony  is  so 
strong,  that  we  live  on  the  eve  of  the  present  dis- 
pensation, toward  the  dawn  of  the  glorious  day, 
that  I  wonder  why  ministers  and  people  do  not 
wake  up  and  trim  their  lamps.     Yes,  my  brother, 


100  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

almost  two  years  since  you  heard  the  news,  "  Be- 
hold, the  hrideg I'oomfi  vomcth  !  " — and  yet  you  cry, 
A  little  more  sleep,  a  little  more  slumber.  Blame 
not  your  people  if  they  go  to  sleep  under  your 
preaching.  You  have  done  the  same.  Bear  with 
me,  my  brother.  In  every  letter  you  have  written 
me,  you  have  promised  to  study  this  all-important 
subject,  and  in  every  letter  you  confess  your  neg- 
ligence. The  day  draws  near.  More  than  one- 
sixth  of  the  time  is  gone  since  my  brother  Hen- 
dryx  promised,  and  yet  asleep  !  0  God,  forgive 
him  !  Are  you  waiting  for  all  the  world  to  wake 
up  before  you  dare  get  up  ?  Where  has  your 
courage  fled  ?  Awake  !  awake  !  0  sluggard  ! 
Defend  your  own  castle,  or  take  sides  with  the 
word  of  God  ;  destroy  or  huild.  You  must  not, 
you  cannot,  you  shall  not  be  neutral.  Awake ! 
awake !  Tell  Deacon  Smith  to  help  wake  you. 
Tell  him,  for  me,  to  shake  you,  and  not  give  out 
shaking,  until  Bro.  H.  will  put  on  the  whole  ar- 
mor of  light. 

" '  In  every  church  where  I  have  lectured  on 
this  important  subject,  many,  very  many,  seem  to 
awake,  rub  open  their  eyes,  and  then  fall  back  to 
sleep  again.  But  the  enemy  is  waking  up.  In  one 
town  (North  Beekmantown)  I  received  a  letter,  the 
day  after  my  first  lecture,  from  some  bullies  and 
blackguards,  that  if  I  did  not  clear  out  of  the 
State,  they  would  put  me  where  the  dogs  could 
never  find  me.  The  letter  was  signed  by  ten  of 
them.  I  stayed,  and,  blessed  be  God !  he  poured 
out  his  Spirit,  and  began  a  work  which  gainsay- 
ers  could  not  resist. 

" '  Some  ministers  try  to  persuade  their  people 
not  to  hear  me ;  but  the  people  will  go,  and  ev- 
ery additional  lecture   will  bring  an  additional 


LABORS    BLESSED.  101 

multitude,  until  their  meeting-bouses  cannot  hold 
them.  Depend  upon  it,  my  brother,  God  is  in 
this  thing ;  and  he  will  be  glorified  ;  and  blessed 
be  his  holy  name  :  Do  pray  for  me,  my  brother, 
that  I  may  have  grace  equal  to  my  need,  and  that 
I  may  always  see  my  need,  feel  my  weakness,  and 
be  kept  humble,  and  that  I  may  always  declare 
the  truth.     Do  jyvay  I 

"  '  I  think,  if  the  Lord  will,  I  shall  be  in  your 
section  of  country  next  spring  or  summer.  Do 
give  me  a  list  of  some  brethren  between  here  and 
your  place,  if  you  can. 

"  '  I  remain  yours  in  Christ, 

" '  William  Miller.' 

"  Two  days  subsequent  to  the  date  of  the  above, 
Mr.  M.  was  again  in  the  field ;  and,  according  to 
his  memorandum-book,  gave  lectures  as  follows  : 
Oct.  25  and  26,  at  Paulet,  Vt. ;  Nov.  6,  8,  and  9, 
at  Orwell,  Vt. ;  10  and  12,  Cornwall,  Vt.  ;  and 
Nov.  16,  in  Hampton,  N.  Y.  His  success  in  the 
above  places  is  indicated  in  the  following  extract 
from  a  letter  which  he  wrote  Elder  Hendryx 
from  Low  Hampton,  on  the  28th  of  Nov.,  1834  : — 

"  '  I  have  had  good  success  since  I  wrote  you 
before.  The  Lord  has  been  with  me.  I  have 
been  into  a  number  of  towns  in  Vermont.  Some 
old,  hardened  rebels  have  been  brought  to  plead 
for  mercy,  even  before  my  course  of  lectures  was 
finished.  Blessed  be  the  holy  name  of  God  !  He 
has  given  me  more  than  I  should  have  dared  to 
ask.  How  good,  my  brother,  it  is  to  preach,  hav- 
ing God  for  paymaster  !  He  pays  down.  He 
pays  in  souls.  He  paid  the  Shepherd  thus,  and 
he  was  satisfied  ;  will  he  not  pay  his  servants  too  ? 
Yes,  yes.  Bless  his  name,  O  my  soul,  for  all  his 
benefits  ! 


102  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

" '  I  find  that  studious  Christians  are  the  best 
hearers  :  and  the  reason  is  obvious.  The  more 
we  know  of  mankind,  the  less  room  there  is  for 
bigotry,  superstition,  and  prejudice.  Those  are 
evils  always  attending-  ignorance.' 


CHAPTER    V. 

NEW  DOORS  OPEN — HIS  LABORS  COUNTENANCED  BY  MINIS- 
TERS OF  HIS  DENOMINATION — HIS  FIRST  DONATION  OF 
TWO  HALF-DOLLARS — DEATH  OF  HIS  MOTHER — INCIDENT 
AT  SHAFTSBURY — RESULTS  OF  HIS  LABORS — TESTIMONY 
OF  A  CONVERT  FROM  INFIDELITY — LETTER  OF  REV.  C. 
FITCH — URGENT  APPEALS  TO  VISIT   VARIOUS  TOWNS,  ETC. 

"  After  the  commencement  of  the  new  year 
(1885)  Mr.  Miller  lectured,  during  the  first  week 
of  January,  in  Addison,  Vt.,  and  the  second,  in 
Cornwall,  Vt.  He  then  returned  home,  where  he 
remained  till  the  12th  of  February,  writing  on 
the  11th  to  Elder  Hendryx  as  follows  : — 

"  '  The  Lord  opens  doors  faster  than  I  can  fill 
them.  To-morrow  I  have  an  appointment  in 
Whiting,  which  will  occupy  a  week.  The  next 
week  I  shall  be  in  Shoreham ;  the  last  week  in 
this  month,  at  Bridgeport ;  the  first  week  in 
March,  in  Middletown ;  the  second,  in  Hoosac.  I 
have  calls  from  Schroon,  Ticonderoga,  Moriah, 
Essex,  Chazy,  Champaign,  Plattsburgh,  Peru, 
Mooretown,  Canton,  Pottsdam,  Hopkinton,  Stock- 
holm, Parishville,  and  other  places  too  numerous 
to  mention.  The  Lord  has  blessed  me  thus  far  ; 
in  almost  every  place  where  I  have  lectured,  the 
Spirit  has  given  fruit.     Where  I  went  forth  ex- 


NEW    FIELDS    OF    LABOR.  103 

pecting  trials  and  persecution,  I  have  found  God 
a  present  help.  Pray  for  me,  that  my  faith  fail 
not,  and  that  I  may  ever  feel  my  weakness,  and 
that  my  dependence  may  be  on  Israel's  God. 
Pray  that  I  may  do  my  duty  in  the  fear  of  God, 
and  in  the  love  of  the  truth  ;  and  then,  whatev- 
er may  become  of  me,  God  will  be  glorified  and 
souls  saved.' 

"After  filling  the  two  former  of  those  appoint- 
ments, he  returned  home  till  the  8th  of  March, 
when  he  lectured  in  Bridgeport,  Vt.,  three  days, 
and  gave  six  lectures.  He  lectured  in  Granville 
on  the  folio winfj  Sabbath,  March  15,  and  again 
returned  home. 

"  It  seems  to  have  been  his  intention,  when  he 
left  home  on  the  7th  of  March,  to  return  to 
Whiting,  he  having  received  an  invitation  to 
that  effect.  A  powerful  work  of  grace  had  fol- 
lowed his  lectures  there,  and  several  infidels  had 
acknowledged  the  authenticity  of  the  Scriptures 
as  demonstrated  by  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy, 
and  were  under  deep  conviction,  and  wished  to 
see  him.  Whether  he  went  there  or  not,  does 
not  appear.  But,  on  the  21st  of  March,  he 
writes,  '  I  have  been  very  sick  with  a  cold,  for  a 
day  or  two  past,  and  I  am  only  able  to  sit  up  for 
a  short  time.' 

"  On  the  10th  of  April,  he  again  visited  Gran- 
ville, where  he  also  lectured  on  the  20th  and  21st. 
On  the  26th,  he  lectured  at  Middletown,  N.  Y. 
On  the  28th,  he  again  wrote  from  Low  Hamp- 
ton : — 

" '  I  have  been  laid  up  with  a  severe  cold,  and 
have  been  only  to  two  or  three  places  since  I 
wrote  last  (March  21).  But  I  have  now  recov- 
ered mv  health  again,  so  that  I  have  been  the 


104  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

last  two  weeks  at  Granville  and  Middletown. 
Next  Sunday  (May  3),  I  am  to  be  at  Fort  Ann 
village,  N,  Y.,  if  the  Lord  will ;  and  when  I  shall 
get  through  lecturing  in  this  region,  I  cannot  tell. 
Doors  open  faster  than  I  can  fill  them.  I  have 
calls  from  Wells,  Bishop's  Corner,  and  Tinouth.' 
"  These  lectures  and  sermons  of  Mr.  Miller  met 
the  approval  of  a  large  number  of  the  ministers 
of  his  denomination,  with  whose  approbation, 
from  this  time,  he  went  forth,  as  a  public  laborer, 
indorsed  and  sanctioned  by  the  following  certifi- 
cate : — 

"March  19,  1835. 

"  This  may  certify,  to  whom  it  may  concern, 
that  we,  whose  names  are  hereunto  affixed — be- 
ing ministers  in  the  denomination  of  regular 
Baptists — are  personally  acquainted  with  Bro. 
William  Miller,  the  bearer  of  this  certificate  ;  that 
he  is  a  member,  and  a  licentiate  in  good  regular 
standing,  in  the  particular  Baptist  church,  in 
Hampton,  N.  Y.;  that  we  have  heard  his  lectures 
on  the  subject  of  the  Second  Coming  and  Reign 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  and  that  we  believe 
his  views  on  that  particular  subject,  as  well  as 
others  pertaining  to  the  gospel,  are  worthy  to  be 
known  and  read  of  all  men.  As  such  an  one,  we 
commend  him  to  God,  and  the  aftectionate  accept- 
ance of  our  brethren  in  the  precious  Saviour. 

J.  Sawyer,  Jr.,  South  Reading. 

E.  Halping,  llam'pton. 

Amos  Stearns,  Fort  Ann. 

ExMERSON  Andrews,  Lansinghurg. 

"After  visiting  Fort  Ann,  N,  Y.,  on  the  3d  of 
May,  he  lectured  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  on  the  lOth 
and  17th  of  the  same  month;  in  West  Haven,  on 


FIRST    MATERIAL    All).  105 

the  7tli  of  June,  and  in  Middlebury,  Vt.,  on  the 
14th.  From  that  place  he  went  into  the  province 
of  Lower  Canada,  and  lectured,  on  the  21st  and 
23d,  at  Bolton ;  the  25th,  at  Hutting ;  the  28th, 
29th,  and  July  1,  at  Derby;  July  2,  at  George- 
ville  ;  the  5th  and  Cth,  at  Bolton,  again  ;  the  7th, 
at  Outlet ;  and  the  8th  and  9th,  at  Stanstead 
Plain,  On  the  12th,  he  lectured  at  Derby,  Vt.; 
the  13th,  at  Troy,  Vt.;  the  14th,  at  Lowell,  Vt.; 
the  loth,  at  Eden,  Vt.;  the  16th,  at  Cambridge, 
Vt.;  the  17th,  at  Jericho,  Vt.;  and  the  19th,  at 
Orwell,  Vt. 

"  During  this  tour,  while  in  Canada,  a  woman 
placed  two  half-dollars  in  his  hand,  which  was 
all  the  assistance  he  received  previous  to  1836. 
His  expenses  for  travel,  kc,  were  paid  from  his 
own  funds. 

"  On  his  way  home  from  Canada,  he  was  much 
depressed  in  his  spirits.  To  use  his  own  words, 
he  was  overwhelmed  with  a  dark  cloud,  for  which 
he  could  not  account.  He  felt  impelled  to  hasten 
home,  with  a  presentiment  that  there  was  trouble 
there.  Leaving  Jericho,  Vt.,  instead  of  filling 
several  appointments,  he  took  the  nearest  route, 
and  hastened  home  with  all  speed.  Calling  at 
Orwell,  by  the  urgent  request  of  his  Uncle 
Phelps,  he  stopped  to  speak  to  the  church  on  the 
Sabbath,  leaving  immediately  after  service  for 
home,  where  he  arj-ived  late  at  niirht.  His  fam- 
ily were  astonished  to  see  him  return  so  soon, 
and  he  was  delighted  to  find  them  all  well. 

"At  an  early  hour  on  Monday  he  went  to  visit 
his  mother,  to  take  to  her  a  present  from  her 
daughter  in  Canada.  His  mother  lived  about  half  a 
mile  from  Mr.  Miller's,  with  her  son,  Solomon.  He 
found  her  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health,  and 


106  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

he  spent  the  day  with  her,  returning  home  un- 
usually interested  with  his  visit.  His  mother 
did  not  receive  his  views,  but  always  told  him  to 
preach  the  whole  truth,  as  he  believed  it,  and  do 
his  duty.  Soon  after  Mr.  Miller  had.  left  his 
mother,  she  was  seized  with  the  palsy.  Mr.  M. 
was  sent  for.  She  was  unable  to  converse  any ; 
but,  by  the  pressure  of  the  hand,  signified  that 
she  knew  him,  and  before  the  close  of  the  week, 
expired.  Had  not  Mr.  Miller  been  impressed 
with  a  sense  of  'trouble  at  home,'  he  would  have 
taken  a  more  circuitous  route,  and  filled  several 
appointments,  according  to  previous  arrange- 
ments. By  thus  changing  his  original  purpose, 
he  enjoyed  the  opportunity  of  a  day's  conversa- 
tion with  his  mother,  which  he  would  otherwise 
have  been  deprived  of.  He  often  recurred  to  this 
as  a  signal  instance  of  God's  favor. 

"  On  the  2d  of  August,  he  lectured  at  South 
Bay,  N.  Y.;  on  the  9th,  at  Dresden,  N.  Y., 
and,  on  the  23d,  at  South  Bay,  again.  On  the 
28th,  he  again  writes  from  Low  Hampton,  to 
Eld.  Hendryx,  as  follows  : — 

" '  I  am  yet  engaged  in  warning  the  inhabitants 
to  be  prepared  for  the  great  day  of  God  Almighty, 
and  am  endeavoring  to  jirove  by  the  Scriptures 

that  it  is  near,  even  at  the  doors I  always 

present  this  as  an  inducement  for  men  to  repent. 
I  call  on  them  in  the  name  of  my  dear  Master  to 
turn,  repent,  believe,  and  obey  him.  I  beseech 
them,  for  the  value  of  their  souls,  to  believe  in 
Christ.  I  implore  them  to  lay  up  treasures  in 
Heaven.  I  importune  them,  again  and  again,  to 
read,  reflect,  examine,  and  see  if  the  word  of  God 
is  not  true.  I  show  them  its  complete  fulfillment 
thus  far,  and  then  I  pi'ay  God  to  direct  the  arrow 


LECTURES    AND    CORRESPONDENCE.  107 

to  the  heart.  I  ask  God,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
to  nerve  the  arm  that  pulls  the  bow,  and  to  sharp- 
en the  arrow  that  twangs  from  it.  I  then  put 
all  my  confidence  in  God  and  in  his  promise,  "  Lo, 
I  am  with  you  even  to  the  end  of  the  world."  .  . 

" '  I  have  this  moment  received  a  letter  from 
Bro.  Wescott  [the  Baptist  clergyman],  to  be  in 
Stillwater  next  Sabbath  [August  30];  and  I 
shall  be  under  the  necessity  of  leaving  in  a  few 
minutes.  I  shall  be  absent  until  about  the  1st 
of  October. 

"  'My  good  old  mother  Miller  is  dead.  She  died 
about  four  weeks  since.  The  rest  of  us  are  all 
in  good  health. 

" '  Yours  in  gospel  bonds, 

"'Wm.  Miller.' 

"He  visited  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  according  to  in- 
vitation, and  continued  there  one  week,  lecturing 
each  day.  On  the  13th,  he  was  at  Bristol.  On 
the  1st  of  November,  he  visited  Middletown,  N. 
Y.,  and  gave  a  course  of  eight  lectures.  He  then 
lectured  again,  five  days,  at  Bristol,  commencing 
on  the  15th  of  November  ;  and,  beginning  on  the 
20th,  he  labored  five  days  longer  at  Middletown 
■ — usually  giving  two  lectures  each  day.  On  the 
6th  of  December,  he  was  at  Whitehall,  N.  Y. ;  on 
the  20th,  at  Poultney,  Vt. ;  and  on  the  27th,  at 
Westhaven.  This  terminated  his  labors  for  the 
year  1835. 

"  On  the  3d  of  January,  1836,  he  lectured  at 
a  Brother  Aborn's ;  on  the  24th,  at  Dresden,  N. 
Y. ;  on  the  7th  of  February,  at  Fort  Ann  village,  N. 
Y. ;  on  the  13th  of  March,  at  Orwell,  Vt. ;  and 
on  the  15th,  at  Shoreham,  Vt.  His  public  lect- 
ures during  these  winter  months  were  inteiTupted 
by  the  preparation  of  liis  course  of  sixteen  lect- 


108  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

ures  for  the  press,  which  were  published  in  Troy, 
N.  y.,  in  the  spring  of  this  year,  by  Eld.  Wescott. 
All  the  copies  of  that  edition  supplied  to  Mr. 
Miller,  he  purchased  at  the  regular  prices. 

"  On  the  24th  of  April,  he  again  visited  Still- 
water, N.  Y. ;  and,  on  the  15th  of  May,  New 
Haven,  Vt.  On  the  16th  he  commenced  a  course 
of  lectures  at  Weybridge,  Vt.,  which  closed  on 
the  20th.  On  the  day  following,  he  began  his 
labors  at  Monkton,  N.  Y.,  which  continued  eight 
days. 

"  On  the  19th  of  June,  he  visited  Lansinejburef, 
N.  Y.,  and  continued  till  the  26th.  To  pay  his 
stage- fare,  he  received,  on  this  occasion,  four  dol- 
lars, which,  with  the  two  half-dollars  received  in 
Canada,  was  all  the  remuneration  he  had  thus  far 
received  for  his  expenses.  Subsequent  to  that 
time,  as  he  says  in  his  'Apology  and  Defense,' 
he  never  received  enough  to  meet  his  expenses 
of  travel  to  the  places  where  he  was  invited ;  so 
that  his  public  labors  were  never  of  any  pecun- 
iary advantage  to  him,  as  has  been  currently 
reported  and  believed  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  they 
were  a  heavy  tax  on  his  property,  which  gradu- 
ally decreased  during  that  period  of  his  life. 

"On  the  21st  of  July,  he  writes,  from  Low 
Hampton,  to  Eld.  Hendryx :  '  I  have  been  con- 
lined  at  home,  for  three  weeks  past,  by  a  bilious 
complaint.  I  was  taken  unwell  while  lecturing 
at  Lansingburg,  N.  Y. ;  but  I  finished  my  course 
of  lectures,  and  returned  home,  and  have  not  been 
well  since.  My  lectures  were  well  received  in 
that  place,  and  excited  attention.  The  house 
was  filled  to  oveiflowing  for  eight  days  in  suc- 
cession. I  feel  that  God  was  there,  and  believe 
that   in  his  glorified   kingdom  I   shall   see   the 


LECTURES  AND  CORRESPONDENCE.       109 

fruits Infidels,  deists,  Universalists, 

and  sectarians,  were  all  chained  to  their  seats,  in 
perfect  silence,  for  hours — yes,  days — to  hear  the 
old  stammering  man  talk  about  the  second  com- 
ing  of  Christ,  and  show  the  manner,  object,  time, 
and  signs,  of  his  coming.  O  my  brother !  it 
makes  me  feel  like  a  worm — a  poor,  feeble  crea- 
ture ;  for  it  is  God  only  who  could  produce  such 
an  effect  on  such  audiences.  Yet  it  gives  me 
confidence ;  for  I  solemnly  believe  it  is  truth  ;  and 
God  will  support  his  word,  and  will  be  present 
where  it  is  preached,  however  feeble  the  instru- 
ment ;  for  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  world."  Therefore,  if  I  were 
preaching  before  all  the  kings  of  the  earth,  why 
should  I  fear  ?  for  the  King  of  kings  is  with  me. 
If  all  the  lords  were  there,  yet  he  is  Lord  of 
lords,  and  of  the  great  men  of  the  earth.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  again  lectured  in  Dresden,  N.  Y.,  on 
the  7th  of  August ;  in  Orwell,  Vt.,  on  the  11th  of 
September;  and  in  Keesville,  N.  Y., on  the  18th. 
He  then  gave  courses  of  lectures,  beginning  at 
Lawrence,  N.  Y.,  on  the  22d ;  Stockholm,  on  the 
29th  ;  Parishville,  on  the  7th  of  October ;  Mas- 
sena,  N.  Y.,  on  the  14th.  He  gave  ten  lectures 
at  Fort  Covington,  N.  Y.,  beginning  on  the  20th, 
and  was  at  Chataugay,  N.  Y.,  on  the  27th.  This 
terminated  his  labors  for  the  year  1836.  In  al- 
lusion to  these  last  visits,  he  wrote  on  the  23d  of 
December : — 

"  *  I  have  not  visited  a  place  where  the  Lord 
has  not  given  me  one  or  two  souls  for  my  hire. 
I  have  spent  eight  weeks  in  St.  Lawrence  County, 
and  delivered  eighty-two  lectures  this  fall.  Next 
week  I  am  going  to  Shaftsbury  and  vicinity.' 

"  He  visited  Shaftsbury,  Vt.,  the  23d  of  Janu- 


110  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

aiy,  1837,  and  gave  his  full  course  of  sixteen  lect- 
ures. At  the  close  of  one  lecture,  a  Baptist 
clergyman  arose,  and  stated  that  he  had  come 
there  for  the  purpose  of  exposing  the  folly  of  Mr. 
M.,  but  had  to  confess  that  he  was  confounded, 
convicted,  and  converted.  He  acknowledged  that 
he  had  applied  various  unhandsome  appellations 
to  Mr.  Miller,  calling  him  '  the  end  of  the  world 
man,'  '  the  old  visionary,'  '  dreamer,'  '  fanatic,'  and 
for  which  he  felt  covered  with  shame  and  confu- 
sion. That  confession,  evidently  so  honest,  was 
like  a  thunderbolt  on  the  audience. 

"  Yery  few  particulars  of  interest  have  been 
gathered  respecting  his  labors  during  the  year 
1837.  According  to  his  memorandum-book,  he 
lectured  in  Wells,  Vt.,  on  the  3d  of  February ;  in 
Shrewsbury,  Vt.,  on  the  3d  of  March ;  in  Ando- 
ver,  Vt.,  from  the  5th  to  the  12th  of  March ;  in 
Weston,  Vt.,  four  days,  beginning  with  the  13th; 
in  Mt.  Holly,  Vt.,  on  the  17th  ;  in  Orwell,  Vt.,  on 
the  23d  of  April  and  7th  of  May ;  in  Danby,  Vt., 
the  14th  of  May ;  in  Poultney,  Vt.,  eight  days, 
beginning  with  the  21st  of  May  ;  in  Orwell,  again, 
on  the  4th  of  June ;  in  North  Springfield,  Vt., 
from  the  11th  to  the  l7th ;  in  Ludlow,  Vt.,  from 
the  19th  to  the  21st ;  in  Mt.  Holly,  Vt.,  from  the 
25th  of  June  to  the  2d  of  July  ;  *"  in  Orwell,  Vt., 
on  the  9th  of  July ;  at  Fairhaven,  Vt,,  from  the 
11th  to  the  20th  ;  in  Whiting,  Vt.,  on  the  23d; 
in  Fairhaven,  Vt.,  on  the  13tli  of  Aug. ;  in  Mo- 
riah,  Vt.,  from  the  14th  to  the  22d  of  October; 
in  Ludlow,  Vt.,  from  the  29th  to  the  Gth  of  No- 

*At  this  place  they  raised,  and  placed  in  his  bands,  quite  a 
sum  of  money  for  his  services.  He  took  $1.50  to  pay  his  stage 
fare  to  the  next  place,  and  directed  them  to  give  the  balance  to 
Bome  benevolent  object. 


IXKIDELS    CONVERTKI),  111 

vember,  and  at  Stillwater,  N.  Y.,  on  tlic  Slst  of 
December. 

"  With  the  1st  of  January,  1838,  he  commenced 
a  second  course  of  lectures  at  Lansingburg,  N. 
Y.,  in  compliance  with  the  urgent  request  of  the 
Baptist  church  in  that  place,  and  of  E.  B.  Cran- 
dall,  their  pastor.  The  lectures  continued  nine 
days,  and  were  listened  to  by  crowded  and  at- 
tentive audiences.  The  result  also  was  most 
heart- cheering.  Infidelity  had  several  strong- 
holds in  that  neighborhood,  and  many  of  that 
class  attended  his  lectures,  and  were  greatly  af- 
fected by  them.  In  a  letter  dated  on  the  25th 
of  that  month,  two  weeks  after  the  close  of  the 
lectures,  a  gentleman  of  that  place  writes  to  Mr. 
Miller  :— 

"'I  have  never  witnessed  so  powerful  an  effect 
in  any  place  as  in  this,  on  all  who  heard.  I  am 
of  the  opinion  that  not  less  than  one  hundred 
persons,  who  held  infidel  sentiments,  are  brought 
to  believe  the  Bible.  Infidelity  is  dumb  in  this 
place,  as  if  frightened,  and  converts  are  many.' 

"  The  following  testimony  of  one  who  was  con- 
verted from  infidelity  during  these  lectures,  is 
copied  from  the  Boston  Investigator  (an  infidel 
paper)  of  Januaiy,  1845  :- — 

" '  Mr.  Editor  : — I  was  a  warm  supporter  of 
the  views  of  Abner  Kneeland,  attended  his  lect- 
ures and  iwotracted  dances,  disbelieved  in  divine 
revelation  and  a  future  existence,  and  fully  ac- 
corded with  Mr.  Kneeland's  views  of  religion. 
Having  read  every  work  of  note  that  I  could  ob- 
tain, and  having  heard  many  lectures  opposed  to 
God  and  the  Bible,  I  considered  myself  prepared 
to  overthrow  the  Christian  faith,  and  feared  no 
argument  that  could  be  brought  from  the  Bible. 


112  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

With  these  feelings,  I  attended  a  full  course  of 
Mr.  Miller's  lectures.  He  gave  his  rules  of  inter- 
pretation, and  pledged  himself  to  prove  his  posi- 
tion. I  approved  of  his  rules — to  which  I  refer 
you — and  the  result  was,  he  established  the  fact 
that  the  Bible  is  what  it  purports  to  be — the 
word  of  God — to  my  mind,  beyond  a  doubt ;  and 
I  have  taken  it  as  the  man  of  my  counsel. 

" '  I  notice  your  doubts  of  the  truth  of  the  state- 
ment in  relation  to  hundreds  of  infidels  being 
converted  under  the  preaching  of  Mr.  Miller. 
This  may  possibly  be  owing  to  your  never  hav- 
ing given  Mr.  Miller  a  candid  and  thorough  hear- 
ing. He  is  a  man  mighty  in  the  Scriptures,  and 
has  done  terrible  execution  in  the  ranks  of  the 
"  King's  enemies,"  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit, 
which  is  the  word  of  God. 

"  '  I  am  personally  acquainted  with  nearly  one 
hundred,  who  held  to  similar  views  with  Abner 
Kneeland,  who  were  converted  under  the  preach- 
ing of  Mr.  Miller  ;  and  we  did  not  yield  the  point 
without  a  struggle,  nor  without  due  consideration. 
Each  and  every  prop  and  refuge  of  infidelity  and 
unbelief  were  taken  away  from  us,  and  our  sandy 
foundation  was  swept  by  the  truth  of  the  Al- 
mighty as  chaff  is  driven  by  the  wind.  Yet  we 
parted  with  them  much  as  a  man  parts  with  a 
diseased  tooth.  We  tried  to  cure  and  keep  it 
there,  and  when  made  to  know  that  the  root  and 
foundation  was  rotten,  it  was  painful  to  part 
with ;  but  we  rejoiced  and  felt  better  after  the 
separation  ;  for  there  is  balm  in  Gilead — there  is 
a  Physician  there. 

"  ^  Lanslnghurg,  N.  Y.,  Jan.,  1845. ' 

"On  the  14th  of  January,  Mr,  Miller  lectured 
at  Westhaven,  N.  Y.,  and  two  weeks  from  that 


LETTER    OF    ELDER    FITCH.  113 

day,  at  Low  Hampton,  N.  Y,  On  the  4th  of 
February,  he  commenced  a  course  of  lectures  at 
Panton,  Vt.,  whicli  he  continued  eight  days.  He 
then  returned  to  West  Haven,  N.  Y.,  and  lectured 
seven  days,  beginning  February  18. 

"  On  returning  to  Low  Hampton,  he  found  the 
following  letter  from  Rev.  Charles  Fitch,  pastor 
at  the  Marlboro'  Chapel,  Boston.  It  was  the  be- 
ginning of  an  acquaintance  between  those  dear 
brethren  in  Christ,  and  as  such,  will  be  read  with 
interest  by  all : — 

'"Boston,  March  5,  1838. 

" '  My  Dear  Brother  : — I  am  a  stranger  to  you, 
but  I  trust  that,  through  the  free  sovereign  grace 
of  God,  I  am  not  alogether  a  stranger  to  Jesus 
Christ,  whom  you  serve.  I  am  the  pastor  of  an 
orthodox  Congregational  church  in  this  city.  A 
few  weeks  since,  your  Lectures  on  the  Second 
Coming  of  Christ  were  put  into  my  hands.  I 
sat  down  to'  read  the  work,  knowing  nothing  of 
the  views  which  it  contained.  I  have  stud- 
ied it  with  an  overwhelming  interest,  such  as  I 
never  felt  in  any  other  book  except  the  Bible, 
I  have  compared  it  with  Scripture  and  history, 
and  I  find  nothing  on  which  to  rest  a  single 
doubt  respecting  the  correctness  of  your  views. 
Though  a  miserable,  guilty  sinner,  I  trust  that, 
through  the  Lord's  abounding  grace,  I  shall  be 
among  those  that  love  his  appearing.  I  preached 
to  my  people  two  discourses  yesterday  on  the  com- 
ing of  our  Lord,  and  I  believe  a  deep  and  perma- 
nent interest  will  be  awakened  thereby  in  God's 
testimonies.  My  object  in  writing  you,  my  dear 
sir,  is  twofold, 

"  '  1st.     Will  you  have  the  kindness  to  inform 

Miller.  8 


114  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

me,  by  letter,  in  what  history  you  find  the  fact 
stated  that  the  last  of  the  ten  kings  was  baptized 
A.  D.  508,  and  also  that  the  decree  of  Justinian, 
giving  the  Bishop  of  Rome  power  to  suppress  the 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  was  issued  in  538  ? 
All  the  other  data  which  you  have  given,  I  have 
found  correct,  and  I  know  of  no  reason  to  doubt 
your  correctness  in  these.  But,  as  I  have  not 
yet  been  able  to  find  a  statement  of  those  facts, 
you  will  do  me  a  great  favor  by  just  informing 
me  where  I  may  find  them ;  and  1  shall  then  feel 
prepared  to  defend  the  truth,  and  to  point  others 
to  the  right  source  of  information. 

"  '  There  is  a  meeting  of  our  Ministerial  Associa- 
tion to-morrow,  and,  as  I  am  appointed  to  read 
an  essay,  I  design  to  bring  up  this  whole  subject 
for  discussion,  and  trust  that  I  may  thereby  do 
something  to  spread  the  truth. 

"  '  2d.  My  second  object  in  writing  was  to  ask  if 
you  would  put  me  in  the  way  to  obt^n  a  dozen 
copies  of  your  lectures.  I  know  of  none  to  be 
obtained  here.  I  know  of  several  individuals 
who  are  very  desirous  to  obtain  the  work,  and  if 
you  can  tell  me  of  any  place  where  it  can  be  ob- 
tained in  this  city,  or  in  New  York,  you  will 
greatly  oblige  me.  If  you  can  give  me  any  in- 
formation of  importance  on  the  subject,  not  con- 
tained in  your  book,  I  should  greatly  reioice,  be- 
cause, as  I  stand  a  watchman  on  the  walls,  I  wish 
to  give  the  trwunpet  a  certain  sound,'  and  to 
make  that  sound  as  full,  and  explicit,  and  con- 
vincing, as  possible. 

" '  Yours  in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 

"'Charles  Fitch.' 

"On  the  12th  of  March,  Mr.  M.   commenced  a 


URGENT    APPEALS.  115 

course  of  lectures,  and  continued  eight  days,  at 
Benson,  Vt.  Previous  to  this,  he  had  received 
urgent  requests  from  the  Rev.  Mr.  Hill,  of  the 
First  Church  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  and  Rev.  Mr.  Parke, 
of  the  church  in  West  Troy,  uniting  w^ith  their 
respective  churches,  for  a  course  of  lectures  in 
each  place ;  and  they  were  expected,  in  West 
Troy,  to  have  been  commenced  previous  to  those 
in  Benson,  Vt.  Their  disappointment,  and  the 
great  anxiety  of  ministers  and  people,  at  that 
period,  to  secure  his  services,  may  be  judged  of 
l3y  the  following  letter  from  the  pastor  of  the 
church  in  that  place  : — 

"  '  West  Tuoy,  March  12,  1838. 

" '  William  S.  Miller,  Esq.  :*  Dear  Sir,  I  re- 
ceived a  line  from  you,  dated  March  1,  and  was 
glad  to  hear  that  Father  Miller  had  concluded  to 
visit  West  Troy  on  Saturday  last.  With  much 
anxiety,  all  looked  forward  to  that  day,  expect- 
ing the  privilege  of  hearing  something  upon  the 
subject  ^of  Christ's  Second  Coming.  But  alas  ! 
we  are  disapjyointed.  Dear  Sir,  I  write  these 
few  lines,  letting  you  know  something  of  the 
state  of  feeling  in  this  place  upon  the  subject  of 
Mr.  Miller's  lectures.  In  the  street,  in  the  house, 
in  short,  wherever  (almost)  you  meet  an  individ- 
ual, the  first  thing  is,  Has  Mr.  Miller  come  yet  ? 
When  is  Mr.  Miller  going  to  be  here  ?  What  is 
the  reason  he  does  not  come  ?  &:c.  If  the  old 
gentleman  can  possibly  come  down  to  West  Troy, 
I  wish  him  to  come  as  soon  as  possible.  I  hope 
he  will  not  delay.  I  think  we  have  a  little  claim 
upon  him,  if  our  wishes  may  be  brought  into  ac- 

*  A  son  of  Mr.  M.,  who  was  at  that  time  postmaster  iu  Low 
Hampton. 


116  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

count.     Dear   Sir,   upon   the  reception   of  this, 
please  write  me  the  reason  of  the  disappoint- 
TYient ;  also,  when  he  will  come,  if  at  all,  that  I 
may  give  an  answer  to  them  that  ask. 
"  '  Yours  in  haste, 

"  '  Frederic'  S.  Parke.' 

"  At  the  same  date,  Mr.  Miller's  son  received  a 
letter  from  Troy,  N.  Y.,  stating  that  '  Rev.  Mr, 
Hill  is  at  present  very  anxious,  and  most  of  his 
church,  for  your  father  to  come  to  East  Troy 
first,  and  he  has  undertaken  a  negotiation  with 
Eld.  Parke,  for  your  father  to  visit  them  half  of 
the  time.' 

"  In  compliance  with  these  urgent  requests,  he 
commenced  a  course  of  lectures  at  West  Troy, 
N.  Y.,  on  the  8th  of  March,  and  continued  till 
the  15th,  when  he  began  in  East  Troy,  where  he 
continued  till  the  25th.  These  were  attended 
with  happy  results.  In  the  March  of  the  next 
year,  the  Hev.  Mr.  Parke  wrote  Mr,  Miller  as 
follows : — 

" '  It  is  my  privilege  to  say  that  God  in  mercy 
is  doing  a  great  work  in  West  Troy.  Old  and 
young  and  middle-aged  are  alike  made  the  happy 
recipients  of  grace.  The  Dutch  Reformed  church 
are  enjoying  an  interesting  state  of  things.  The 
Methodists  are  full  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  Baptists 
are  pressing  on  in  the  good  cause.  Praise  the 
Lord  ■  A  number  date  their  awakening  to  your 
lectures  on  the  Second  Coming  of  Christ.  .  .  . 
You  have  great  reason  to  rejoice  that  God  is 
pleased  to  make  you  the  honored  instrument  of 
awakening  poor  sinners.' 

"  Previous  to  these  lectures,  he  had  received 
the  following  urgent  request  frcnu  Rev.  Emerson 


A    PRESSIXG   CALL.  117 

Andrews,  of  the  Baptist  clniic]i  in  Rome,  N. 
Y.:— 

"  '  Rome,  N.  Y.,  March  20,  1838. 

" '  Dear  Brother  Miller  : — 

We  have  heard  something  of  you  and  yours,  and 
want  to  see  you  in  person,  and  hear  your  whole 
course  of  lectures.  I  feel  as  if  the  time  had  ar- 
rived for  you  to  preach  the  gospel  at  Rome  also. 
There  is  more  attention  to  religion  now  than 
formerly,  and  some  anxiety.  The  desire  to  hear 
from  you  is  veiy  great.  We  want  you  to  come 
immediately,  the  first  Sunday,  if  possible.  Do  n't, 
I  beg  of  you,  make  any  delay,  or  excuse,  but 
come  right  otf.  ...  I  want  you  to  be  here 
before   the   time   if  possible.' 

''  Engagements  at  Troy  made  it  necessary  to  de- 
fer compliance  with  the  above  till  they  were 
attended  to.  After  a  few  days'  rest,  he  visited 
Rome,  N.  Y.,  began  his  lectures  there  on  the  Gth 
of  May,  and  continued  till  the  IGth.  In  the  ab- 
sence of  any  journal,  or  of  any  reference  to  these 
lectures  in  any  of  the  letters  preserved  by  him, 
their  results  cannot  be  here  recorded. 

"  In  June  following,  he  again  visited  his  friends 
in  Canada  East,  and  lectured  at  Outlet  on  the 
lOth  and  11th,  and  Bolton  from  the  12th  to  the 
14th,  returning  home  before  the  end  of  the 
month.  After  this,  he  gave  courses  of  lectures, 
commencing  on  the  2Gth  of  August,  at  Braintree, 
Yt. ;  on  the  lb"th  of  September,  at  White  Creek, 
Vt. ;  on  the  3d  of  October,  at  Pittsfield,  Yt. ;  on 
the  7th,  at  Randolph,  Vt. ;  on  the  Ifith,  at  Brook- 
field,  Yt. 

"  This  last  course  was  given  at  the  urgent  re- 
ef Rev.  Jehiel  Claflin  and  the  Baptist  church  in 
that  place.     As  early  as  the   26th  of  June,  Mr. 


118  LIFE    OF    MILLEK. 

C.  wiote  liim :  '  There  are  a  great  many  people 
in  this  and  the  adjoining  towns,  who  are  very 
anxious  to  hear  you  lecture  on  the  subject  of  the 
millennium.'  And,  on  the  16th  of  July,  he 
wrote  :  '  I  received  your  favor  of  the  30th  ult., 
and  read  the  same  with  much  delight,  to  find 
that  you  could  gratify  the  wish  of  so  many 
friends  in  this,  and  adjacent  towns.  I  read  your 
letter  in  meeting,  yesterday,  to  my  congregation  ; 
and,  some  being  present  from  abroad,  I  consulted 
them  according  to  your  request,  and  found  an  in- 
creasing anxiety  in  their  minds  that  you  should 
come  and  lecture  in  this  vicinity,  or  near  by.' 

"  On  the  7th  of  November,  he  commenced  a 
course  of  lectures  at  Montpelier,  Vt.,  which  he 
continued  there  and  in  the  neighborhood  till  the 
23d.  On  the  17th,  he  writes  from  that  place  to 
his  son : — 

" '  There  is  a  great  excitement  on  the  subject  in 
this  place.  Last  night,  we  had  a  solemn  and  in- 
teresting meeting.  There  was  a  great  breaking 
down,  and  much  weeping.  Some  souls  have  been 
born  again.  I  can  hardly  get  away  from  this 
people.  They  want  me  to  ,5tay  another  week  ; 
but  I  shall  go  to  the  next  village  on  Monday. 
Mr.  Kellogg,  the  Congregational  minister  here, 
is  a  good  man,  and  his  church  are  living  Chris- 
tians. Montpelier  is  quite  a  considerable  village, 
and  contains  some  very  intelligent  people,  who 
appear  to  listen  with'much  interest.  This  after- 
noon, I  meet  the  citizens,  and  am  to  give  them  an 
opportunity  to  ask  questions  and  state  objections. 
.  .  .  May  God  help  me  to  give  his  truth  !  I  know 
my  own  weakness,  and  I  know  that  I  have  nei- 
ther power  of  body  nor  mind  to  do  what  the 
Lord  is  doing  by  me.     It  is  the  Lord's  doings  and 


LECTURES.  119 

mai'velons  in  ciur  eyes.  The  w<jiid  do  not  know 
how  weak  I  am.  They  think  much  more  of  the 
old  man  than  /  think  of  him. 

"A  gentleman  in  this  place,  on  the  20th  of 
February  following,  wrote  to  Mr.  M.  as  follows  : 
'  I  am  happy  to  inform  you  that  your  labors  with 
us  have  been  blessed,  and  twenty  have  united 
with  our  church  (the  Baptist)  since  you  left 
Montpelier,  and  twenty  or  thirty  more  will  soon 
join,  all  of  whom  date  their  awakening  at  the 
time  you  lectured  here.  Bro.  Kellogg  (the  Con- 
gregationalist  minister)  is  strong  in  the  faith,  and 
his  views  are  with  Bro.  Miller  on  the  second  com- 
ing of  Christ. 

"  On  the  24th  of  November,  he  commenced  a 
series  of  lectures  in  Jericho,  Vt.,  which  continued 
till  the  2d  of  December.  On  the  28th  of  this 
month,  he  went  to  Stockbridge,  Vt.,  and  on  the 
30th,  to  Rochester,  where  he  continued  till  the 
6th  of  January,  1839. 

"  On  the  7th  of  January,  1830,  he  wrote  to  his 
son  from  Bethel,  Y t.,  that  he  had  lectured  in  those 
places  to  large  audiences,  and  was  on  his  way  to 
Woodstock.  He  arrived  at  that  place  on  the  7th, 
and  commenced  a  second  course  of  lectures,  which 
continued  to  the  14th.  From  that  date  to  the 
20th,  he  lectured  at  Pomfret,  Vt. ;  from  the  21st 
to  the  27th,  at  Bethel,  Vt. ;  and  from  the  28th  to 
the  31st,  at  Gaysville,  Vt.  ;  from  which  place  he 
returned  home.  On  the  28th,  he  wrote  from 
Gaysville  to  his  son: — 

"  '  There  has  been  a  reformation  in  every  place 
that  I  have  lectured  in  since  I  left  home,  and  the 
work  is  progressing  in  every  place  rapidly.  The 
meeting-houses  are  crowded  to  overflowing.  Much 
excitement   prevails   among  the  people.     Many 


120  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

say  they  believe;  some  scofl";  others  are  sober 
and  thinking.  Give  my  love  to  all — mother  and 
the  children.  I  remain  yours,  etc. 

"'Wm.  MilLeh.' 

"  On  the  10th  of  March,  he  commenced  in  Es- 
sex, Vt.,  and  lectured  till  the  17th.  From  the 
18th  to  the  25  th,  he  was  at  Williston,  Vt. ;  and 
on  the  26th,  he  commenced  another  course  of 
lectures  at  Waterbury,  Vt.,  which  closed  on  the 
1st  of  April.  Having  projected  a  tour  into  Mas- 
sachusetts about  this  time,  he  was  obliged  to  dis- 
appoint a  large  number  who  had  solicited  visits 
from  him.  As  evidence  of  the  great  desii'e  to 
hear  him,  he  then  had  on  file  ui'gent  requests 
from  Frederick  Daley, '  Preacher  in  charge,'  North- 
field,  Vt., — with  fifteen  signatures  from  Strafford, 
Vt., — expressing  '  a  great  anxiety  on  the  part  of 
the  public  to  hear  a  course  of  lectures ;'  from  Jo- 
seph Chase,  Middlesex,  announcing  that  the  meet- 
ing-house had  been  opened  for  him  without  a 
dissenting  vote,  and  urging  him  to  come  by  all 
means ;  Wm.  D.  Leavett,  Grantham,  N.  H. ;  urg- 
ing his  presence  there,  '  at  an  early  day  as  possi- 
ble ;'  Z.  Delano,  Hartford,  Vt.,  wishing  him  to 
come  as  early  '  as  practicable ;'  Jonathan  Woods, 
Dover,  Vt.,  '  many  people  being  desirous  to  hear ;' 
Hiram  Freeman,  pastor  of  the  Congregationalist 
church  in  Middlesex,  Vt.,  stating  that '  the  church 
would  gladly  see  him,  and  were  generally  anxious 
for  him  to  come,'  etc.,  etc. ;  none  of  which  ap- 
pear to  have  been  complied  with. 


VISIT   TO    MASSACHUSETTS.  121 


CHAPTER   VI. 

VISITS  MASSACHUSETTS — INVITATION  TO  LOWELL— EXTKACT 
FROM  THE  LYNN  RECORD — IS  INVITED  TO  BOSTON — CON- 
VERSATION WITH  ELDER  HIMES — PUBLICATION  OP  HIS 
LECTURES  BY  MR.  MUSSEY — LABORS  IN  PORTSMOUTH — 
INTERVIEW  WITH  ELDER  ROBINSON,  ETC. 

"  In  compliance  with  an  invitation  from  Mr. 
Seth  Mann,  of  Randolph,  Mass.,  dated  January 
15, 1839,  informing  him  that  '  I,  myself,  and  many 
of  our  Baptist  and  Pedo-Baptist  friends  here, 
wish  you  to  come  and  preach  to  us,'  Mr.  Miller 
visited  Massachusetts,  and  arrived  for  the  first 
time  in  Boston  on  the  evening  of  April  18.  The 
next  day  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"'Boston,  April  19,  10  o'clock  a.  m.,  1839. 

"  'Dear  Sox  : — I  am  now  in  this  place,  hearty 
and  well.  Start  at  half-past  twelve  for  Randolph, 
where  I  expect  to  be  next  week.  Roads  were 
very  bad.  Snow-storm  night  before  last  in  Keene, 
N.  H. ;  pleasant  yesterday  and  to-day.  I  have 
been  running  about  this  morning ;  visited  India 
wharf,  the  new  Market,  Faneuil  Hall,  etc.,  etc. 
Busy  time  in  Boston.  I  have  no  news  as  yet. 
Will  write  as  often  as  you  will  wish  to  hear.  I 
stopped  at  the  Pemberton  House,  No.  9  Howard 
street.  Yours,  etc.  Wm.  Miller.' 

"  He  reached  Randolph,  and  commenced  his 
first  course  of  lectures  in  Massachusetts  on  the 
21st  of  April  of  that  year.  He  closed  his  lectures 
there  on  the  28th ;  commenced  in  Stoughton, 
Mass.,  on  the  29th,  and  continued,  to  the  6th  of 
May ;  lectured  at  Braintree,  Mass.,  on  the  7th  and 
8th,  and  from  the  9th  to  the  13th  in  East  Ran- 


122  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

(lolph,  Mass.  ITifj  leetnros  in  iliese  places  were 
attended  by  powerful  revivals,  (^n  the  27th  of 
May  Mr.  Mann  wrote  him  from  Randolph,  say- 

'"The  Lord,  we  trust,  is  doing  a  gracious  work 
in  this  place.  There  have  been  twelve  or  four- 
teen already  converted,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
last  meeting  about  twenty  arose  for  prayers. 
Our  last  conference  meeting  was  so  crowded  that 

we  had  to  adjourn  to  the  meeting-house 

There  appears  to  be  a  great  solemnity  on  the 
minds  of  nearly  all  in  Mr.  M'Leish's  society.  A 
powerful  work  is  going  on  in  East  Randolph.' 

"  In  July  following,  Rev.  Charles  Peabody 
transmitted  to  Mr.  M.  the  unanimous  vote  of  the 
church  for  him  to  repeat  his  lectures  in  Randolph  ; 
but  he  does  not  appear  to  have  done  so. 

"  Previous  to  Mr.  Miller's  visit  to  Massachu- 
setts, Elder  T.  Cole,  of  Lowell,  had  heard  of  the 
results  attending  his  labors  in  Vermont,  and  had 
written  for  him  to  visit  that  city.  The  dress  of 
Mr.  Miller  was  very  plain  and  ordinary,  much 
more  befitting  his  profession  of  a  farmer  than  of 
a  preacher.  Elder  Cole,  from  the  reports  of  his 
great  success,  expected  him  to  appear  like  some 
distinguished  doctor  of  divinity.  When  Mr.  M. 
came  to  Randolph,  Elder  C.  obtained  a  promise  of 
his  services  in  Lowell,  to  commence  on  the  14th 
of  May,  and  was  requested  to  meet  him  at  the 
cars.  He  had  heard  that  Mr.  Miller  wore  a  camlet 
cloak  and  white  hat,  but  expected  to  see  a  fash- 
ionably-dressed gentleman.  On  the  arrival  of  the 
cars,  he  went  to  the  depot  to  meet  him.  He 
watched  closely  the  appearance  of  all  the  passen- 
gers as  they  left  the  cars,  but  saw  no  one  who 
corresponded  with  his  expectations   of  Mr.   M. 


LECTURES    IX    LOWELL.  123 

Soon  he  saw  an  old  man,  shaking  with  the  palsy, 
with  a  white  hat  and  candet  cloak,  alight  from 
the  cars.  Fearing  that  this  one  might  prove  to 
be  the  man,  and,  if  so,  regretting  that  he  had  in- 
vited him  to  lecture  in  Jus  church,  he  stepped  up 
to  him,  and  whispered  in  his  ear  : — 

" '  Is  your  name  ^Miller  ? ' 

"  Mr.  M.  nodded  assent. 

" '  Well,'  said  he,  '  follow  me.' 

"  He  led  the  way,  walking  on  ahead,  and  Mr. 
M.  keeping  as  near  as  he  could,  till  he  reached  his 
house.  He  was  much  chagrined  that  he  had 
written  for  a  man  of  Mr.  M.'s  appearance,  who,  he 
concluded,  could  know  nothing  respecting  the  Bi- 
ble, but  would  confine  his  discourse  to  visions 
and  fancies  of  his  own. 

"After  tea,  he  told  Mr.  M.  he  supposed  it 
was  about  time  to  attend  church  ;  and  again  led 
the  way,  Mr.  Miller  bringing  up  the  rear.  He 
showed  Mr.  M.  into  the  desk,  but  took  a  seat 
himself  among  the  congregation.  Mr.  M.  read  a 
hymn ;  after  it  was  sung,  he  prayed,  and  read 
another  hymn,  which  was  also  sung.  He  felt  un- 
pleasant at  being  left  in  the  pulpit  alone,  but 
took  for  his  text :  '  Looking  for  that  blessed  hope, 
and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God  and 
our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ '  This  he  sustained  and 
illustrated  by  apposite  quotations  of  Scripture, 
proving  a  second  personal  and  glorious  appearing 
of  Christ.  Elder  C.  listened  for  about  fifteen 
minutes,  when,  seeing  that  he  presented  nothing 
but  the  word  of  God,  and  that  he  opened  the 
Scriptures  in  a  manner  that  did  honor  to  the  oc- 
casion, like  a  workman  who  needeth  not  to  be 
ashamed,  he  walked  up  into  the  pulpit,  and  took 
his  seat.     Mr.  M.  lectured  there  from  the  14th  to 


12-4  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

the  22d  of  May,  and  again  from  the  29th  to  the 
4th  of  June.  A  glorious  revival  followed,  and 
elder  C.  embraced  his  views  in  full,  continuing  for 
six  years  a  devoted  advocate  of  them.  On  the 
25th  of  July,  elder  C.  wrote  Mr.  M.  that,  since  the 
lectures,  he  '  had  baptized  about  forty,  sixty  in 
all  having  joined  the  church  ;  and  there  are  yet 
some  who  are  seeking  the  Lord.'  Mr.  Miller  says 
of  his  visit : — 

" '  At  Lowell  I  also  became  acquainted  with 
my  Bro.  J.  Litch,  who  had  previously  embraced 
my  views,  and  who  has  since  so  aided  their  ex- 
tension by  his  faithful  lectures  and  writings,  and 
energetic  and  consistent  course.' 

"  From  the  24th  to  the  28th  of  May,  Mr.  M. 
lectured  in  Groton,  Mass.,  and  from  the  3d  to  the 
9th  of  June,  in  Lynn,  Mass.  In  connection  with 
his  visit  to  this  place,  he  made  the  following  en- 
try in  his  memorandum- book  :  '  Thus  ends  my 
tour  into  Massachusetts,  making  eight  hundred 
lectures  from  October  1,  1834,  to  June  9,  1839 — 
four  years,  six  months,  nine  days.'  The  editor  of 
the  Lynn  Record  gave  the  following  notice  of 
Mr.  Miller,  and  his  visit  to  that  place  : — 

"  'miller  and  the  prophecies. 

"  '  We  took  a  prejudice  against  this  good  man 
when  he  first  came  among  us,  on  account  of  what 
we  supposed  a  glaring  error  in  interpreting  the 
Scripture  prophecies  so  that  the  world  would 
come  to  an  end  in  1843.  We  are  still  inclined  to 
believe  this  an  error  or  miscalculation.  At  the 
same  time  we  have  overcome  our  prejudice  against 
him  by  attending  his  lectures,  and  learning  more 
of  the  excellent  character  of  the  man,  and  of  the 


MILLER  AXD  TUE  PROPHECIES,         125 

great  good  he  has  done  and  is  doing.  Mr.  Miller 
is  a  plain  farmer,  and  pretends  to  nothing  except 
that  he  has  made  the  Scripture  prophecies  an  in- 
tense study  for  many  years,  understands  some  of 
them  differently  from  most  other  people,  and 
Avishes,  for  the  good  of  others,  to  spread  his  views 
before  the  public.  No  one  can  hear  him  five 
minutes  without  being  convinced  of  his  sincerity, 
and  instructed  by  his  reasoning  and  information. 
All  acknowledge  his  lectures  to  be  replete  with 
useful  and  interesting  matter.  His  knowledge 
of  Scripture  is  very  extensive  and  minute  ;  that 
of  the  prophecies,  especially,  surprisingly  famil- 
iar. His  application  of  the  pi'ophecies  to  the 
great  events  which  have  taken  place  in  the  nat- 
ural and  moral  world  is  such,  generally,  as  to  pro- 
duce conviction  of  their  truth,  and  gain  the  ready 
assent  of  his  hearers.  We  have  reason  to  believe 
that  the  preaching  or  lecturing  of  Mr.  Miller,  has 
been  productive  of  great  and  extensive  good. 
Revivals  have  followed  in  his  train.  He  has  been 
heard  withattention,  wherever  he  has  been 

" '  There  is  nothing  very  peculiar  in  the  manner 
or  appearance  of  Mr.  Miller.  Both  are  at  least 
equal  to  the  style  and  appearance  of  ministers  in 
general.  His  gestures  are  easy  and  expressive, 
and  his  personal  appearance  every  way  decorous. 
His  Scripture  explanations  and  illustrations  are 
strikingly  simple,  natural,  and  forcible ;  and  the 
great  eagerness  of  the  people  to  hear  him  has 
been  manifested  wherever  he  has  preached.' 

"  On  his  way  home  he  lectured  at  the  following 
places  : — Commencing  on  the  IGth  of  June  at 
Westford,  Vt. ;  the  2.3d,  at  Cambridge,  Vt.,  and 
on  the  30th  at  Colchester,  Vt.  As  a  result  of  his 
labors  in  Colchester,  twenty-three  were  added  to 


126  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

the  Baptist  churcli  between  that  time  and  the  2d 
of  December  following. 

"  The  letters  addressed  to  him  and  his  son  at 
this  period  show  that  a  report  was  in  circulation 
that  he  was  dead ;  and,  that  as  soon  as  that  was 
successfully  contradicted,  another  was  current 
that,  on  re-examining  his  calculations,  he  had  dis- 
covered a  mistake  of  one  hundred  years.  Both 
of  these  rumors  were  several  times  subsequently 
revived,  and  had  to  be  as  often  contradicted. 

"On  the  15th  of  September,  in  comphance 
with  '  the  wish  of  many  in  Rutland,  Vt.,'  who 
were  '  very  anxious  to  hear '  his  '  course  of  lect- 
ures,' he  visited  that  place,  and  lectured  each 
day,  to  the  22d,  when  he  returned  to  his  family, 
and  made  an-angements  for  a  second  visit  to  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

"  He  commenced  his  labors  at  Groton,  Mass.,  on 
the  13tli  of  October,  and  lectured  ten  days.  In 
reference  to  these  lectures  and  others  in  neigh- 
boring towns.  Rev.  Silas  Hawley,  Congregational 
minister,  wrote  from  Groton,  on  the  10th  of  April, 
1840,  as  follows  : — 

"  '  Mr.  Miller  has  lectured  in  this  and  adjoining 
towns  with  marked  success.  His  lectures  have 
been  succeeded  by  precious  revivals  of  religion  in 
all  those  places.  A  class  of  minds  are  reached 
by  him  not  within  the  influence  of  other  men. 
His  lectures  are  well  adapted,  so  far  as  I  have 
learned,  for  shaking  the  supremacy  of  the  various 
forms  of  error  that  are  rife  in  the  community.' 

"  Closing  his  lectures  in  Groton,  Mr.  M.  gave  a 
third  course  of  lectures  in  Lowell,  continuing 
from  the  2od  of  October  to  the  1st  of  November. 
These,  like  the  previous  lectures  in  that  place, 
were  attended  with  precious  fruits. 


LECTURES  AND  LABORS.  127 

"  From  the  2d  to  the  10th  of  November,  he 
lectured  in  Haverhill,  Mass.,  where  he  made  the 
acquaintance  of  Elder  Henry  Plummer,  pastor  of 
the  Christian  church,  who  embraced  his  views, 
and  was  a  steadfast  friend  till  Mr.  Miller's  de- 
cease. 

"  On  the  11th  of  November,  Mr.  M.  commenced 
a  course  of  lectures  in  Exeter,  N.  H.,  which  con- 
tinued till  the  19th.  On  the  12th,  a  conference 
of  the  Christian  Connection  was  in  session  there, 
and  they  called  on  Mr.  Miller  in  a  body.  He 
was  a  stranger  to  nearly  all  of  them ;  and  few  of 
them  regarded  his  views  with  anything  more 
than  mere  curiosity.  Several  of  them  questioned 
him  respecting  his  faith ;  but  they  were  speedily 
silenced  by  the  quotation  of  appropriate  texts  of 
Scripture. 

"  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  Elder  Joshua  V.  Himes,  then 
pastor  of  the  Chard  on- street  church,  Boston. 
Elder  H.  had  written  to  Mr.  M.,  on  the  19th  of 
October,  inviting  him  to  give  a  course  of  lectures 
in  his  chapel.  He  now  renewed  his  invitation, 
and  got  the  promise  of  a  course  of  lectures  in 
December.  Before  commencing  there,  Mr.  Miller 
gave  a  second  course  of  lectures  in  Stoughton, 
Mass.,  from  the  24th  to  the  29th  of  November, 
and  one  in  Canton,  Mass.,  from  the  1st  to  the  6th 
of  December.  In  this  last  place,  he  writes  to  his 
son,  that  he  '  lectured  three  times  on  the  last  day, 
to  a  house  jammed  full.'  Pressing  invitations  for 
further  labors  in  the  surrounding  region  had  to 
be  disregarded,  in  order  to  fulfill  his  engagement 
in  the  metropolis  of  New  England. 

"  He  arrived  in  Boston  on  the  7th  of  December, 
and  from  the  8th  to  the   IGth  lectured  in  the 


128  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

Chardon-street  cliapel, — his  first  course  of  lectures 
in  that  city. 

"  On  the  12th  of  December,  Mr.  Miller  writes 
from  Boston  to  his  son : — '  I  am  now  in  this 
place  lecturing,  twice  a  day,  to  large  audiences. 
Many,  very  many,  go  away  unable  to  gain  ad- 
mittance. Many,  I  am  informed,  are  under  seri- 
ous convictions.  I  hope  God  will  work  in  this 
city/ 

"  At  this  time  he  stopped  at  the  house  of  Elder 
Himes,  who  had  much  conversation  with  him 
respecting  his  views,  his  plans  for  the  future,  and 
his  responsibilities.  Elder  H.  became  impressed 
with  the  correctness  of  Mr.  M.'s  views  respecting 
the  nearness  and  nature  of  Christ's  coming ;  but 
was  not  fully  satisfied  respecting  the  time.  He 
was,  however,  sufficiently  convinced  that  Mr. 
Miller  was  communicating  important  truths,  to 
feel  a  great  interest  in  their  promulgation. 

" '  When  Mr.  Miller  had  closed  his  lectures,' 
says  Elder  H.,  '  I  found  myself  in  a  new  position. 
I  could  not  believe  or  preach  as  I  had  done. 
Light  on  this  subject  was  blazing  on  my  con- 
science day  and  night.  Along  conversation. with 
Mr.  Miller  then  took  place,  on  our  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities. I  said  to  Bro.  Miller,  "  Do  you 
really  believe  this  doctrine  ?" 

"  '  He  replied,  "  Certainly,  I  do,  or  I  would  not 
preach  it." 

" '  What  are  you  doing  to  spread  or  diffuse  it 
through  the  world  ?' 

" '  I  have  done,  and  am  still  doing,  all  I  can.' 

" '  Well,  the  whole  thing  is  kept  in  a  corner 
yet.  There  is  but  little  knowledge  on  the  subject, 
after  all  you  have  done.  If  Christ  is  to  come  in 
a  few  years,  as  you  believe,  no  time  should  be 


A    CO-LABORER    IN    THE    WORK.  129 

lost  in  giving  the  church  and  world  warning,  in 
thunder- tones,  to  arouse  them  to  prepare.' 

"  '  I  know  it,  I  know  it,  Bro.  Himes,'  said  he  ; 
'  but  what  can  an  old  farmer  do  ?  I  was  never 
used  to  public  speaking ;  I  stand  quite  alone ; 
and,  though  I  have  labored  much,  and  seen  many- 
converted  to  God  and  the  truth,  yet  oio  one,  as 
yet,  seems  to  enter  into  the  object  and  spirit  of 
my  mission,  so  as  to  render  me  much  aid.  They 
like  to  have  me  preach,  and  build  up  their 
churches;  and  there  it  ends  with  most  of  the 
ministers,  as  yet.  I  have  been  looking  for  help —  • 
I  want  help.' 

"  '  It  was  at  this  time  that  I  laid  myself,  family, 
society,  reputation,  all,  upon  the  altar  of  God,  to 
help  him,  to  the  extent  of  my  power,  to  the  end. 
I  then  inquired  of  him  what  parts  of  the  coun- 
try he  had  visited,  and  whether  he  had  visited 
any  of  our  principal  cities. 

" '  He  informed  me  of  his  labors,'  as  given  in 
the  foregoing  pages. 

" '  But  why,'  I  said,  '  have  you  not  been  into 
the  large  cities  ?' 

" '  He  replied  that  his  rule  was  to  visit  those 
places  where  invited,  and  that  he  had  not  been 
invited  into  any  of  the  large  cities. 

" '  Well,'  said  I,  '  will  you  go  with  me  where 
doors  are  opened  ?' 

"  '  Yes,  I  am  ready  to  go  anywhere,  and  labor 
to  the  extent  of  my  ability  to  the  end.' 

" '  I  then  told  him  he  might  prepare  for  the 
campaign ;  for  doors  should  be  opened  in  every 
city  in  the  Union,  and  the  warning  should  go  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth  !  Here  I  beean  to  "help  " 
Father  Miller.' 

MUler.  9 


130  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"  With  this  epoch  commenced  an  entire  new 
era  in  the  spread  of  the  doctrine  of  the  advent. 
B.  B.  Mussey,  Esq.,  a  distinguished  Boston  pub- 
lisher, undertook  the  publication  of  a  revised  edi- 
tion, of  five  thousand  copies,  of  Mr.  Miller's  Lect- 
ures, on  condition  that  Mr.  Miller  would  se- 
cure the  copyright.  Mr.  M.  did  so,  which  sub- 
jected himself  to  some  blame,  where  the  reason 
for  the  act  was  not  known.  Mr.  M.  gave  to  Mr. 
Mussey  the  entire  profits  of  the  edition  for  two 
hundred  copies  of  the  work,  which  Mr.  Mussey 
,  gave  him. 

"  On  the  I7th  of  December,  Mr.  M.  lectured  in 
Westford,  where  he  was  refused  the  use  of  the 
Congregational  church — the  first  place  of  wor- 
ship that  was  ever  closed  against  him.  From  the 
19  th  to  the  2(ith  of  December,  he  lectured  in  Little- 
ton, Mass.  The  result  of  these  lectures  is  indicated 
by  a  letter  of  Rev.  Oliver  Ayer  (Baptist),  who 
writes,  in  January  : — '  I  baptized  twelve  at  our  last 
communion.  I  shall,  probably,  baptize  from  fifteen 
to  twenty  next  time.  There  have  been  from 
thirty-five  to  forty  hopeful  conversions.  There 
is  also  quite  a  work  in  Westford,  ten  or  twelve 
conversions,  and  twenty  or  thirty  inquirers.  The 
work  is  still  going  on.' 

"  On  the  28th  he  returned  to  Boston,  and  re- 
peated his  course  of  lectures  in  Mr.  Himes'  chapel, 
closing  on  the  5th  of  January,  1840.  The  day 
following,  by  request  of  the  Baptist  church  under 
the  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Parker,  he  visited 
Cambridgeport,  and  lectured  there  each  day 
till  the  13th  of  January.  From  the  14th  to 
the  20th,  he  gave  a  second  course  of  lectures  to 
Elder  Plummer's  society,  in  Haverhill,  Mass. 

"On   the   21st  of  January,    1840,  he    visited 


LABORS    IN     PORTSMOUTU.  131 

Portsmoutb,  N.  H.,  and  commenced  his  first 
course  of  lectures  in  that  city.  The  following 
article,  in  reference  to  them,  from  the  pen  of 
Elder  David  Millard,  pastor  of  the  Christian 
Society  there,  appeared  in  the  columns  of  the 
Christian  Herald  a  few  weeks  subsequently  : — 

"  '  On  the  21st  of  January,  Bro.  William  Miller 
came  into  town,  and  commenced,  in  our  chapel, 
his  course  of  lectures  on  the  Second  Coming  of 
Christ.  During  the  nine  days  that  he  remained, 
crowds  flocked  to  hear  him.  Before  he  concluded 
his  lectures,  a  laro;e  number  of  anxious  souls 
came  forward  for  prayers.  Our  meetings  con- 
tinued every  day  and  evening  for  a  length  of 
time  after  he  left.  Such  an  intense  state  of  feel- 
ing as  now  pervaded  our  congregation  we  never 
witnessed  before  in  any  place.  Not  unfrequently 
from  sixty  to  eighty  would  come  foward  for  pray- 
ers on  an  evening.  Such  an  awful  spirit  of  so- 
lemnity seemed  to  settle  down  on  the  place  that 
hard  must  be  that  sinner's  heart  that  could  with- 
stand it.  Yet,  during  the  whole,  not  an  appear- 
ance of  confusion  occurred ;  all  was  order  and 
solemnity.  Generally,  as  soon  as  souls  found  de- 
liverance, they  were  ready  to  proclaim  it,  and 
exhort  their  friends,  in  the  most  moving  language, 
to  come  to  the  fountain  of  life.  Our  meetings 
thus  continued,  on  evenings,  for  six  weeks ;  in- 
deed, they  have  thus  continued,  with  very  little 
intermission,  up  to  the  present. 

"  '  Probably  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  souls 
have  been  converted  in  our  meetings ;  but  a  part 
of  these  were  from  other  conofreofations,  and  have 
returned  to  their  foimer  meetinsfs.  Among  the 
converts  are  a  considerable  number  from  the 
Universalist   conorreofation ;    these    still   remain 


132  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

with  US.  From  our  meetings  this  blessed  work 
soon  spread  into  every  congregation  in  town  fa- 
vorable to  revivals.  In  several  of  them  it  is  at 
present  spreading  with  power.  For  weeks  to- 
gether, the  ringing  of  bells  for  daily  meetings 
rendered  our  town  like  a  continual  Sabbath. 
Indeed,  such  a  season  of  revival  was  never  wit- 
nessed before  in  Portsmouth  by  the  oldest  inhab- 
itant. It  would  be  difficult,  at  present,  to  ascer- 
tain the  exact  number  of  conversions  in  town ; 
it  is  variously  estimated  at  from  five  hundred  to 
seven  hundred.  We  have  received  into  fellow- 
ship eighty- one;  nine  of  these  were  received  on 
previous  profession.  We  have  baptized  sixty- 
seven,  and  the  others  stand  as  candidates  for 
baptism.  Never,  while  we  linger  on  the  shores 
of  mortality,  do  we  expect  to  enjoy  more  of 
Heaven  than  we  have  in  some  of  our  late  meet- 
ings, and  on  baptizing  occasions.  At  tlie  water- 
side, thousands  would  gather  to  witness  this  sol- 
emn institution  in  Zion,  and  many  would  return 
from  the  place  weeping.  Our  brethren  at  the 
old  chapel  have  had  some  additions,  we  believe 
some  over  twenty,' 

"  The  Rev,  Mr.  Peabody,  of  Portsmouth,  in  a 
sermon  published  soon  after,  spoke  of  the  revival 
which  commenced  there  in  connection  with  Mr. 
Miller's  labors,  as  follows  :— 

"'If  I  am  rightly  informed,  the  present  season 
of  religious  excitement  has  been,  to  a  great  de- 
gree, free  from  what,  I  confess,  has  always  made 
me  dread  such  times,  I  mean  those  excesses  and 
extravagances  which  wound  religion  in  the  house 
of  its  friends,  and  cause  its  enemies  to  blaspheme, 
I  most  cheerfully  express  my  opinion  that  there 
will  be,  in  the  fruits  of  the  present  excitement, 


LABORS    IN    PORTSMOUTH,  133 

far  less  to  regret,  and  much  more  for  the  friends 
of  God  to  rejoice  in — much  more  to  be  recorded 
in  the  book  of  eternal  life— than  in  any  similar 
series  of  religious  exercises  which  I  have  ever 
had  the  opportunity  of  watching.' 

"  At  the  time  of  these  lectures,  Eld.  D.  I.  Rob- 
inson was  stationed  in  Portsmouth,  as  the  pastor 
of  the  Methodist  church,  and  attended  a  part  of 
the  course.     He  writes  : — 

" '  I  heard  him  all  I  could  the  first  week,  and 
thought  I  could  stop  his  wheels  and  confound 
him ;  but,  as  the  revival  had  commenced  in  the 
vast  congregation  assembled  to  hear,  I  would  not 
do  it  publicly,  lest  evil  should  follow.  I  there- 
fore visited  him  at  his  room,  with  a  formidable 
list  of  objections.  To  my  surprise,  scarcely  any 
of  them  were  new  to  him,  and  he  could  answer 
them  as  fast  as  I  could  present  them.  And  then 
he  presented  objections  and  questions  which  con- 
founded me  and  the  commentaries  on  which  I 
had  relied.  I  went  home  used  up,  convicted, 
humbled,  and  resolved  to  examine  the  question.' 

"The  result  was,  that  Eld.  R.  became  fully 
convinced  of  the  nearness  of  the  advent,  and  has 
since  been  a  faithful  preacher  of  the  kingdom  at 
hand.  Eld.  Thomas  F.  Barry,  also,  at  this  time 
embraced  Mr.  Miller's  views,  and  continued  an 
able  and  consistent  advocate  of  the  same  till  his 
death,  at  Oswego,  N.  Y.,  July  17,  184G. 

"On  the  SOth  and  31st  of  January,  Mr.  M. 
again  lectured  in  Exeter,  N.  H.,  and  from  the  2d 
to  the  6th  of  February  in  Deerfield,  N,  H.,  after 
which  he  returned  to  Boston. 


134  LTFE    OF    MILLER. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

PUBLICATION  OF  THE  "  SKJNS  OF  THE  TIMES  " — VISIT  TO 
WATEKTOWN,  PORTLAND,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  AND  OTHER 
PLACES — LETTERS  OF  ELDERS  MEDBURY,  FLEMING,  AND 
GREEN — HIS    SICKNESS,   RESIGNATION,  ETC. 

"  From  the  8th  to  the  20th  of  February,  Mr. 
M.  gave  his  third  course  of  lectures  in  Boston,  in 
the  Marlboro'  Chapel  and  other  places,  as  the 
doors  opened.  It  was  during  this  series  of  meet- 
ings that  the  publication  of  a  journal,  devoted  to 
the  doctrine  of  the  advent,  was  effected.  Mr. 
Miller  (in  1845)  thus  narrates  its  origin:— 

"  For  a  long  time  previous  to  this,  the  papers 
had  been  filled  with  abusive  stories  respecting 
my  labors,  and  they  had  refused  to  publish  any- 
thing from  me  in  reply.  I  had  greatly  felt  the 
need  of  some  medium  of  communication  to  the 
public.  Efforts  had  been  frequently  made  to 
commence  the  piiblication  of  a  paper  which 
should  be  devoted  to  the  advocacy  of  the  doc- 
trine, and  the  communication  of  information  on 
the  fulfillment  of  prophecy.  We  had,  however, 
never  been  able  to  find  a  man  who  was  willing 
to  run  the  risk  of  his  reputation  and  the  pecun- 
iary expense  in  such  a  publication. 

"On  my  visit  to  Boston  in  the  winter  of  1840, 
I  mentioned  to  Bro.  Himes  my  wishes  respect- 
ing a  paper,  and  the  difficulties  I  had  experi- 
enced in  the  establishment  of  one.  He  promptly 
offered  to  commence  a  paper  which  should  be  de- 
voted to  this  question,  if  I  thought  the  cause  of 
truth  would  be  thereby  advanced.  The  next 
week,  without   a   subscriber  or  any  promise  of 


SIGNS    OP    THE    TIMES.  135 

assistance,  he  issued  the  first  mimber  of  the  Signs 
of  the  Times,  on  the  28th  of  February,  184.0 — a 
publication  [now,  1875,  McssiaJis  Herald,]  which 
has  been  continued  to  the  present  time. 

"With  this  commenced  an  entire  new  era  in 
the  spread  of  information  on  the  peculiar  points 
of  my  belief.  Mr.  Mussey  gave  up  to  him  the 
})ublication  of  my  lectures,  and  he  published 
them  in  connection  with  other  works  on  the 
prophecies,  which,  aided  by  devoted  friends,  he 
scattered  broadcast  e/ery  where  to  the  extent  of 
his  means.  I  cannot  here  withhold  my  testi- 
mony to  the  efficiency  and  integrity  of  my  Bro. 
Himes.  He  has  stood  by  me  at  all  times,  periled 
his  reputation,  and,  by  the  position  in  which  he 
has  been  placed,  has  been  more  instrumental  in 
the  spread  of  these  views  than  any  other  ten 
men  who  have  embarked  in  the  cause.  His 
course,  both  in  laboring  as  a  lecturer  and  in  the 
manner  that  he  has  managed  his  publications, 
meets  my  full  approval. — Apology  and  Defense, 

"After  the  issue  of  the  first  number,  its  print- 
ers, Messrs.  Dow  &  Jackson,  proposed  to  Elder 
Himes  to  issue  the  paper  semi-monthly  for  one 
year,  he  to  furnish  the  editorial  matter  gratu- 
itously, and  they  to  have  all  the  proceeds  of  it. 
These  terms  being  accepted,  they  re-issued  the 
first  number  on  the  20th  of  March,  and  continued 
it,  as  per  agreement,  for  one  year,  when  it  revert- 
ed to  Eld.  Himes,  its  projector,  by  whom  it  has 
been  continued  to  the  present  time  [1853]. 

"On  the  1st  of  March,  1840,  Mr.  M.  visited 
Watertown,  Mass.,  and  commenced  his  first' 
course  of  lectures  in  that  place.     These  contin- 


136  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

ued  nine  days,  and  were  attended  by  a  crowded 
audience.  Mr.  M.  was  much  pleased  with  his  re- 
ception there,  and,  after  leaving,  wrote  to  his 
son : — 

"  '  I  have  never  seen  so  great  an  effect  in  any 
one  place  as  there.  I  preached  last  from  Gen. 
19  :  17.  There  were  from  a  thousand  to  fifteen 
hundred  present,  and  more  than  one  hundred  un- 
der conviction.  One-half  the  congregation  wept 
like  children  when  I  parted  from  them.  Mr.  Med- 
bury,  the  Baptist  minister,  a  good  man,  wept  as 
though  his  heart  would  break,  when  he  took  me 
by  the  hand,  and,  for  himself  and  people,  bade 
me  farewell.  He  and  many  othei's  fell  upon  my 
neck,  and  wept  and  kissed  me,  and  sorrowed 
most  of  all  that  they  should  see  my  face  no  more. 
We  could  not  get  away  for  more  than  an  hour, 
and  finally  we  had  to  break  away.  About  twen- 
ty were  converted  while  I  was  there.' 

"  Rev.  R.  B.  Medbury  afterward  gave  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  the  result  of  Mr.  Miller's  lect- 
ures there,  through  the  Signs  of  the  Times  : — 

'"For  several  months  past  we  have  enjoyed, 
and  are  still  enjoying,  a  pleasing  work  of  grace 
among  us.  This  revival,  as  stated  in  the  account 
published  in  the  Christian  Watchnan  of  the  8th 
instant,  was  in  progress  when  Mr.  Miller  com- 
menced lecturing  here.  In  speaking  of  the  re- 
sults of  his  labors,  however,  it  is  but  just  to  say 
that  his  influence  here  preceded  him.  It  will  be 
recollected  that,  some  time  in  January,  he  lect- 
ured at  Cambridgeport,  about  four  miles  from 
us.  Many,  both  of  our  church  and  congregation, 
•  attended  one  or  more  of  those  lectures.  The  first 
two  subjects  of  the  present  work  among  us,  as 
well  as  some  others,  who  have  since  been  hope- 


LABORS    IN    WATERTOWN.  137 

fully  converted,  I'egarded  those  lectures  as  instru- 
mental of  fastening  permanent  conviction  upon 
their  mind.  Several  Christians,  too,  were  awak- 
ened to  a  new  sBnse  of  their  duty. 

" '  There  had,  however,  been  rather  more  feel- 
ing than  usual  in  several  of  our  meetings  previ- 
ous to  that  time.  And  in  the  interval  which 
elapsed  between  this  time  and  the  commence- 
ment of  Mr.  Miller's  lectures  here,  the  blessing  of 
God  had  accompanied  the  means  of  grace  at  home 
to  the  hopeful  conversion  of  about  twenty.  The 
work  evidently  received  a  new  impulse  while  Mr. 
Miller  was  here.  His  lectures  were  attended  by 
crowds,  who  listened  with  profound  attention, 
and,  we  have  reason  to  believe,  in  not  a  few  cases 
with  profit.  Many  persons  from  neighboring 
villages  shared  the  benefit  of  his  labors  in  com- 
mon with  us,  and,  in  several  cases,  returned  to 
their  homes  rejoicing.  Other  means  of  grace 
were,  however,  mingled  with  his  labors,  which 
were,  no  doubt,  in  a  great  degree  owned  and 
blessed  of  God. 

" '  Among  those  who  have  since  united  with 
our  church,  many  have  mentioned  Mr,  Miller's 
lectures  as  the  means,  under  God,  of  bringing 
them  to  repentance.  They  have  generally  stated 
that,  for  months  or  years,  they  had  thought  more 
or  less  on  the  subject :  but  that  on  hearing  him 
they  felt  it  was  time  to  take  a  stand.  The  things 
of  eternity  assumed  to  them  an  unwonted  i-eality. 
Heaven  was  brought  near,  and  they  felt  them- 
selves guilty  before  God.  It  was  not  so  much 
the  belief  that  Christ  might  come  in  1843  as  it 
was  the  certainty  of  that  event,  with  the  convic- 
tion that  they  were  not  prepared  to  hail  his  com- 
ing with  joy.     Many,  however,  who  listened  to 


138  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

his  whole  course  of  lectures  with  a  lieart  un- 
moved, have  since  been  melted  into  contrition, 
and  become  the  hopeful  subjects  of  renewing 
grace. 

" '  Many  Christians  who  attended  Mr.  Miller's 
lectures  hero  have  regarded  them  as  the  means 
of  quickening  them  to  new  spiritual  life.  I  know 
not  that  any  one  has  embraced  all  his  peculiar 
views;  but  many  have  been  made  to  feel  that 
time  is  short,  that  the  coming  of  Christ  is  at 
hand,  and  that  what  they  do  for  their  fellow-men 
must  be  done  quickly.  They  have  felt  that  hith- 
erto the  doctrine  of  the  second  cominof  of  Christ 
has  had  little  or  no  practical  effect  upon  them, 
and  that,  while  they  could  suppose  at  least  one 
thousand  years  between  that  event  and  the  pres- 
ent time,  its  influence  must  be  less  than  if  it  were 
a  matter  of  constant  expectation.  They  think 
that  the  contemplation  of  this  subject  has  awak- 
ened feelings  which  the  anticipation  of  death 
never  kindled  in  their  breasts.  Earth  has  receded, 
and  their  attachment  to  all  sublunary  objects 
has  been  loosened.  Eternity  has  seemed  to  open 
near  before  them,  and  its  scenes  have  become 
more  distinct  objects  of  vision;  while  the  soul, 
with  all  that  pertains  to  its  immortal  weal  or  woe, 
has  been  felt  to  eclipse  every  other  object  of 
earth.  In  a  word,  they  profess  to  have  conse- 
crated themselves  unto  the  service  of  God,  and 
to  labor  to  be  found  watching  whenever  the  Mas- 
ter of  the  house  shall  come,  "  whether  at  even,  or 
at  midnight,  or  at  the  cock-crowing,  or  in  the 
morning,  lest,  coming  suddenly,  he  should  find 
them  sleeping." 

"  '  Waterfoum,  May  21,  IS40.' 


VISIT   TO    PORTLAND.  139 

"In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  Elder  L. 
D.  Fleming,  pastor  of  the  Christian  church  in 
Portland,  Me.,  Mr.  Miller  visited  and  gave  his 
tirst  course  of  lectures  in  that  city,  from  the  11th 
to  the  23d  of  March.  The  result  of  these  was 
thus  stated  by  Elder  Fleming,  in  April  follow^- 
ing:— 

" '  There  has  probably  never  been  so  much  re- 
ligious interest  among  the  inhabitants  of  this 
place,  generally,  as  at  present;  and  Mr.  Miller 
must  be  regarded,  directly  or  indirectly,  as  the 
instrument,  although  many,  no  doubt,  will  deny 
it,  as  some  are  very  unwilling  to  admit  that  a 
good  work  of  God  can  follow  his  labors ;  and  yet 
we  have  the  most  indubitable  evidence  that  this 
is  the  work  of  the  Lord.  It  is  worthy  of  note 
that  in  the  present  interest  there  has  been,  com- 
paratively, nothing  like  mechanical  effort.  There 
has  been  nothing  like  passionate  excitement.  If 
there  has  been  excitement,  it  has  been  out  of 
doors,  among  such  as  did  not  attend  Bro.  Miller's 
lectures. 

" '  At  some  of  our  meetings,  since  Bro.  M.  left, 
as  many  as  two  hundred  and  fifty,  it  has  been 
estimated,  have  expressed  a  desire  for  religion, 
by  coming  forward  for  prayers ;  and  probably 
between  one  and  hvo  htmdred  have  professed 
conversion  at  our  meetings  ;  and  now  the  fire  is 
being  kindled  through  this  whole  city  and  all 
the  adjacent  country.  A  number  of  rumsellers 
have  turned  their  shops  into  meeting-rooms,  and 
those  places  that  were  once  devoted  to  intemper- 
ance and  revelry  are  now  devoted  to  prayer  and 
praise.  Others  have  abandoned  the  traffic  en- 
tirely, and  are  become  converted  to  God.  One 
or  two  gambling  establishments,  I  am  informed, 


140  LIFE   OF    MILLEK. 

are  entirely  broken  up.  Infidels,  deists,  IJniver- 
salists,  and  the  most  abandoned  profligates,  have 
been  converted — some  who  had  not  been  to  the 
house  of  worship  for  years.  Prayer- meetings 
have  been  established  in  every  part  of  the  city, 
by  the  diflE'erent  denominations,  or  by  individuals, 
and  at  almost  every  hour.  Being  down  in  the 
business  part  of  our  city,  on  the  4th  inst.,  I  was 
conducted  into  a  room  over  one  of  the  banks, 
where  I  found  about  thirty  or  forty  men,  of  dif- 
ferent denominations,  engaged,  with  one  accord, 
in  prayer,  at  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  day- 
time !  In  short,  it  would  be  almost  impossible 
to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  interest  now  felt 
in  the  city.  There  is  nothing  like  extravagant 
excitement,  but  an  almost  universal  solemnity 
on  the  minds  of  all  the  people.  One  of  the  prin- 
cipal book- sellers  informed  me  that  he  had  sold 
more  Bibles  in  one  raoiith,  since  Mr.  Miller  came 
here,  than  he  had  in  any  four  months  previous.' 

"An  article  in  the  Maine  Wesleyan  Journal 
gave  the  following  account  of  his  person  and  style 
of  preaching : — 

" '  Mr.  Miller  has  been  in  Portland,  lecturing  to 
crowded  congregations  in  Casco-street  Church,  on 
his  favorite  theme,  the  end  of  the  world,  or  liter- 
al reign  of  Christ  for  one  thousand  years.  As 
faithful  chroniclers  of  passing  events,  it  will  be 
expected  of  us  that  we  should  say  something  of 
the  man  and  his  peculiar  views,  Mr.  Miller  is 
about  sixty  years  of  age,  a  plain  farmer,  from 
Hampton,  in  the  State  of  New  York.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church  in  that  place,  from 
which  he  brings  satisfactory  testimonials  of  good 
standing,  and  a  license  to  improve  publicly.  He 
has,  we  understand,  numerous  testimonials,  also, 


VISIT    TO    PORTLAXD.  141 

from  clergymen  of  different  denominations,  fa- 
vorable to  his  general  character.  We  should 
think  him  a  man  but  of  common-school  educa- 
tion ;  evidently  possessing  strong  powers  of  mind, 
which,  for  about  fourteen  years,  have  been  almost 
exclusively  bent  to  the  investigation  of  Scripture 
prophecies.  The  last  eight  years  of  his  life  have 
been  devoted  to  lecturing  on  this  favorite  subject. 
" '  In  his  public  discourse,  he  is  self-possessed 
and  ready;  distinct  in  his  utterance,  and  fre- 
quently quaint  in  his  expressions.  He  succeeds 
in  chaining  the  attention  of  his  auditory  from  an 
hour  and  a  half  to  two  hours ;  and  in  the  man- 
agement of  his  subject  discovers  much  tact,  hold- 
ing frequent  colloquies  with  the  objector  and  in- 
quirer, supplying  the  questions  and  answers  him- 
self in  a  very  natural  manner,  and,  although  grave 
himself,  sometimes  producing  a  smile  from  a  por- 
tion of  his  auditors, 

" '  Mr.  Miller  is  a  great  stickler  for  literal  in- 
terpretations;  never  admitting  the  figurative, 
unless  absolutely  required  to  make  correct  sense, 
or  meet  the  event  which  is  intended  to  be  pointed 
out.  He  doubtless  believes,  most  unwaveringly, 
all  he  teaches  to  others.  His  lectures  are  inter- 
spersed with  powerful  admonitions  to  the  wicked, 
and  he  handles  Universalism  v/ith  gloves  of 
steel.' 

"  In  connection  with  the  foregoing  was  append- 
ed a  statement  of  Mr.  M.'s  opinions,  which  elic- 
ited from  him  the  following  comment : — 

"  '  In  all  the  cities  which  I  have  visited,  the  ed- 
itors of  religious  newspapers  have  almost  invaria- 
bly misstated  and  ridiculed  my  views,  doctrines, 
and  motives ;  but  in  Portland  I  found,  as  I  hon- 


142  LIFE    OF    MlLLEll. 

estly  believe,  an  honest  editor.  He  gave  a  candid, 
honest,  and  impartial  account.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  was  strongly  urged  by  '  the  ward- 
ens of  the  First  Baptist  Society,  worshiping  in 
Pleasant  street,'  where  he  lectured  a  portion  of 
the  time,  to  give  them  '  another  course  of  lectures,' 
but  he  was  obliged  to  decline  the  invitation  ;  and, 
on  the  last  Tuesday  in  March,  left  Portland,  and 
by  stage  and  railroad  reached  his  home  in  Low 
Hampton  on  Friday  night  following,  '  being  ab- 
sent from  home  nearly  six  months,  and  having 
delivered  three  hundred  and  twenty- seven  lect- 
ures.' 

"  On  his  way  home,  a  young  man,  dressed  in 
black,  who,  Mr.  M.  afterward  learned,  was  a  cler- 
gyman in  a  neighboring  town,  became  his  com- 
panion for  a  short  distance  in  the  stage.  The 
young  man  was  very  talkative  respecting  the 
ministers  of  his  acquaintance, — remarking  what 
a  smooth  preacher  A  was,  how  learned  B  was, 
and  how  popular  C  was,  &c.  When  the  stage 
stopped  for  the  passengers  to  dine,  the  young 
man  proved  to  be  an  acquaintance  of  the  land- 
lord, and  they  commenced  conversation  respect- 
ing '  the  prophet  Miller.'  The  landlord  inquired 
of  the  gentleman  in  black  if  he  had  read  Mr. 
Miller's  lectures,  which  the  former  had  loaned 
him  a  few  days  previous.  '  No,'  the  clergyman 
said  ;  he  read  the  introduction,  and  found  that 
Mr.  M.  was  not  a  learned  man,  and  therefore  he 
had  no  confidence  in  the  work.  This  reply  struck 
Mr.  M.  with  much  force,  as  evidence  of  the  man- 
ner in  which  many  let  those  reputed  to  be  learned 
do  their  thinking  for  them. 

"  From  the  5th  to  the  29th  of  April,  he  lect- 
ured in  Hampton,  N.  Y.,  to  full  houses,  and  a 


LABORS    IN    NEW    YORK    CITY,  143 

good  work  followed.  On  the  2d  of  May  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Baptist  church 
in  Benson,  Vt.,  and  lectured  there  and  in  the 
church  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Francis  (orthodox)  nine 
days.  On  leaving  this  place,  Mr.  Miller  wrote  to 
his  son  :  '  The  several  clergymen  in  the  town  met 
with  us.  The  Lord  came  down  in  his  power  and 
by  his  Spirit ;  a  gracious  influence  was  felt,  and 
many  a  stout  heart  yielded  to  the  gospel  of  Christ. 
About  thirty  had  obtained  a  hope,  and  about  one 
hundred  more  were  anxious,  when  I  left.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  next  visited  New  York  city,  and 
commenced  his  first  course  of  lectures  there,  from 
the  16th  to  the  29th  of  May,  at  the  corner  of 
Norfolk  and  Broome  streets,  to  good  assemblies. 
On  the  19th,  he  wi'ote :  'Last  night  we  had  a 
solemn  time.  An  anxious  and  deep  attention 
was  given  by  the  whole  congregation.'  Consid- 
erable interest  was  excited  by  this  course,  and 
the  ground  was  prepared  for  subsequent  labors. 
At  the  close  of  these  lectures,  Mr.  Miller  returned 
home,  where  he  remained  a  few  days,  and  then 
made  another  visit  to  Canada  East.  He  lect- 
ured at  Hatly  on  the  21st  of  June,  and  at  Bolton 
on  the  24th.  On  the  28th  he  commenced  a  course 
of  lectures  in  George ville,  which  closed  on  the  5th 
of  July.  Writing  from  this  place,  on  the  29th  of 
June,  he  speaks  of  '  large  congregations,'  '  serious 
attention,'  and  of  the  prospect  '  that  much  good 
would  be  done  there.'  He  then  returned  to  Low 
Hampton,  where  he  lectured  on  the  12th  of  July. 

"  He  remained  at  home  about  four  weeks, 
when  he  visited  Dresden,  N.  Y.,  and  lectured 
from  the  9th  to  the  12th  of  August.  Of  that 
place  he  writes,  under  date  of  August  13  :  '  We 
had  a  good  time ;  the  Lord  was  there.'     He  then 


144  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

adds :  '  I  do  not  know  what  to  say  about  coming 
to  Massachusetts  again.  Day  after  to-morrow  I 
begin  a  course  of  lectures  at  Fort  Ann.  The  next 
week  I  go  north,  where  I  have  three  places, 
which  will  take  three  weeks  at  least.  I  have 
more  business  on  hand  than  any  two  men  like 
me  should  perform.  I  must  lecture  twice  every 
day.  I  must  converse  with  many — answer  a 
host  of  questions — winte  answers  to  letters  from 
all  parts  of  the  compass,  from  Canada  to  Florida, 
from  Maine  to  Missouri.  I  must  read  all  the  candid 
arguments  (which  I  confess  are  not  many)  which 
are  urged  against  me.  I  must  read  all  the  slang 
of  the  drunken  and  sober.  .  .  The  polar  star 
must  be  kept  in  view ;  the  chart  consulted,  the 
compass  watched  ;  the  reckoning  kept ;  the  sails 
set ;  the  rudder  managed  ;  the  ship  cleared  ;  the 
sailors  fed  ;  the  voyage  prosecuted ;  the  port  of 
rest,  to  which  we  are  destined,  understood  ;  and 
to  the  watchman  call,  "Watchman,  what  of  the 
night  V" 

"On  the  loth  of  August,  1840,  he  commenced 
his  anticipated  lectures  at  South  Bay,  in  the 
town  of  Fort  Ann,  N.  Y.,  and  continued  to  the 
20th. 

"  On  the  2d,  in  compliance  with  a  previous 
invitation,  he  commenced  a  second  course  of  lect- 
ures in  Colchester,  Vt.,  which  terminated  on  the 
29th.  Of  these  meetings  Elder  Columbus  Green 
thus  writes  : — 

"'The  audiences  were  very  large,  notwithstand- 
ing it  was  a  time  of  great  excitement,  and  our 
place  of  worship  was  as  still  as  death.  His  lect- 
ures were  delivered  in  the  most  kind  and  affection- 
ate manner,  convincing  every  mind  that  he  be- 
lieved the  sentiments  he  uttered.     He  made  the 


LABORS    IN    VERMONT.  145 

most  powerful  exhortations  that  1  ever  lieard  fall 
from  the  lips  of  any  one.  A  deep  solemnity  per- 
vaded the  minds  of  the  community.  Young  men 
and  maidens,  amid  the  pleasures  of  early  years  ; 
men  in  the  meridian  of  life,  hurrying  on  with  lo- 
comotive speed  in  pursuit  of  the  treasures  of 
earth ;  gray- haired  sires,  and  matrons  whose 
hoary  locks  gave  evidence  that  many  winters 
had  passed  over  them,  all  paused  and  pondered 
on  the  things  they  heard,  inquiring,  "Am  I 
ready  ?"  Many  came  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
were  unprepared  to  meet  their  Saviour,  repented 
of  their  sins,  and,  through  the  merits  of  Jesus, 
obtained  pardon  full  and  free.  For  two  years 
after  this,  there  was  a  constant  state  of  revival 
in  that  place ;  and  many  were  the  souls  that 
dated  their  convictions  of  sin  at  that  time,  when 
the  ftiithful  old  man  warned  them  of  the  world's 
approaching  doom.  No  man  was  more  highly 
esteemed  than  he  was  ;  and  it  was  not  uncommon 
for  impenitent  men  to  vindicate  his  character 
when  Ins  motives  were  impeached. 

"  'Many  there  regarded  him  as  "  a  chosen  vessel 
of  the  Lord,"  who  had  been  instrumental  in 
building  them  up  "  in  the  most  holy  faith  ;" 
who  had  taken  them,  as  it  were,  to  Pisgah's  top, 
and  shown  them  the  promised  land,  that  better 
country  for  which  patriarchs  and  prophets  sighed. 
Among  the  public  servants  of  the  Most  High,  to 
them  most  dear,  our  departed  brother  held  a  con- 
spicuous place.  Years  have  passed  since  I  enjoyed 
those  happy  seasons  with  them,  and  swift-rolling 
rivers  and  snow-capped  hill-tops  now  lie  be- 
tween us.  But,  in  whatever  light  they  may  now 
regard  the  efforts  of  him  who  sleeps   in  death, 

Miller.  10 


146  LIFE    OP    MILLER. 

they  then  appreciated  them.  For  one,  I  liave 
never  since  seen  the  time  when  I  was  not  thank- 
ful to  God  that  I  was  counted  worthy  to  see  the 
light,  and  rejoice  in  it.  And  my  prayer  is  that 
the  torch  of  truth  may  illume  our  path  through 
time,  and  that  we  may  at  last  have  an  abundant 
entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"'  Montgomery,  Vf.,  March  I4, 1S50.' 

"  Mr.  Miller  next  lectured  in  Burlington,  Vt., 
from  the  30th  of  August  to  the  5th  of  September ; 
in  Salisbury,  Vt.,  from  the  12th  to  the  20th  of 
September ;  and  from  the  26  th  of  the  same 
month  to  the  1st  of  October,  in  Sudbury,  Vt., 
after  which  he  returned  to  Low  Hampton. 

"  In  anticipation  of  attending  the  first  General 
Conference  of  believers  in  the  second  cominf;  of 
Christ,  which  was  to  assemble  on  the  14th  of 
October,  1840,  in  Boston,  Mr.  Miller  left  home  on 
the  8th,  and  proceeded  as  far  as  Fairhaven,  Vt., 
about  two  miles  from  home,  where  he  was  taken 
with  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid  fever.  In  the 
afternoon  of  the  same  day  he  was  carried  back 
to  Low  Hampton.  He  was  thus  deprived  of  the 
long-desired  privilege  of  meeting  fellow- laborers 
in  the  work  in  which  he  was  engaged.  On  the 
15th  of  October  he  was  a,ble  to  dictate  a  few  lines 
to  those  assembled  in  conference,  as  follows : — 

.,.."'  Why  was  I  deprived  of  meeting  those 
congenial  minds  in  this  good,  this  glorious,  cause 
of  light  and  truth  ?  Why  am  I  to  bear  this  last 
affliction,  and  not  enjoy  this  one  pleasure  of 
meeting  fellow-laborers  in  a  cause  so  big  with 
prospects,  so  glorious  in  its  results,  so  honoring 
to  God,  and  so  safe  to  man  ?  Why  are  the  prov- 
idences of  God   so  mysterious  ?  I  have  often  in- 


LETTER   ON    UIS    SICKNESS.  147 

quired.  Am  I  never  to  liave  my  n-'ill  ^  No, 
never,  until  mj^  will  shall  harmonize  with  thine, 

0  Father!  Yes,  God  is  right;  his  providence  is 
right ;  his  ways  are  just  and  true ;  and  I  am 
foolish  to  murmur  or  complain. 

....'"  Oh,  I  had  vainly  hoped  to  see  you 
all,  to  breathe  and  feel  that  sacred  flame  of  love, 
of  heavenly  fire ;  to  hear  and  speak  of  that  dear, 
blessed  Saviour's  near  approach  !  .  .  .  But   here 

1  am,  a  weak,  feeble,  toil-worn  old  man,  upon  a  bed 
of  sickness,  with  feeble  nerves,  and,  worse  than  all, 
a  heart,  I  fear,  in  part  unreconciled  to  God.     But 
bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul !  I  have  great  blessings 
yet,  more  than  I  can  number.     I  was  not  taken 
sick  far   from  home.     I  am  in  the  bosom  of  _  my 
family.     I  have  my  reason  ;  I  can  think,  believe, 
and  love.     I  have  the   Bible — G   blessed   book ! 
If  I  cannot  read,  I  have   a  daughter   who   loves 
that  book,  and  she  can  read  for  me.     How  pleas- 
ant it  is  to  hear  those  infant  voices  read  that  holy 
book !  How  soft   the  couch  of  sickness  may  be 
made  by  dutiful  children  and  the  book  of  God  ! 
I  have   a   hope, — yes,  yes,  "'  a   blessed   hope," — 
founded   on   that   Word   that   never  fails.     My 
hope  is  in   Him  who  soon  will  come,  and  will 
not  tarry.     I  love  the  thought ;  it  makes  my  bed 
in  sickness  ;  I  hope   it  will  in  death.     I  wait  for 
him.     My  soul,  v/ait   thou  on   God.     I  have  the 
Spirit ;  O  blessed  Holy  Spirit !     He  v/hispers  in 
my  heart,  "  Fear  not,  I  am   with  thee ;  be   not 
dismayed,  I  will  sustain  thee."     I  have  a  promise 
from  the  great  I  AM :  "  Though  after  my  skin, 
worms  destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I 
see  God."     I  "have  many  friends,  and  I   am  per- 
suaded they  will  last  forever.     I   am   confident 
that  I  have  daily  prayers  from  many  hearts.'    .   , 


1  i8  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"When  sufficiently  ve,st(jred,  he  returned  to 
Fort  Ann,  and  lectured  from  the  20th  to  the  SOth 
of  December,  1840,  in  compliance  with  the  'unan- 
imous invitation '  of  the  Baptist  church  there, 
Rev.  J.  0.  Mason,  pastor,  who  had  dispatched  a 
messenger  for  him.  From  the  2d  to  the  8tli  of 
January,  184-1,  he  lectured  at  Ballston  Spa,  N. 
Y. ;  and  again,  from  the  !)th  to  the  12th,  at 
Fort  Ann. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

LECTURES  IN  BOSTON  (4tH,  5tH,  AND  6tH  COURSES),  IN  AN- 
DOVER,  PROVIDENCE,  GAL  WAY,  N.  Y.,  CLAREMONT,  N.  H., 
BENSON,  VT., — HIS  ILLNESS — INCIDENT  AT  SANDY  HILL, 
AT  WORCESTER  —  THE  PHRENOLOGIST  —  MEETINGS  AT 
HARTFORD. 

"  On  the  31st  of  January,  1841,  Mr.  Miller 
again  visited  Boston,  and  commenced  liis  fourth 
course  of  lectures  in  that  city.  He  continued 
there  till  the  19  th  of  February.  The  first  eighteen 
lectures  were  given  in  the  Chard  on- street  Chapel, 
'  which  was  crowded  almost  to  suffocation,  and 
thousands  were  obliged  to  retire  for  want  of 
room.'  Beginning  on  the  9th,  a  second  course  of 
eighteen  lectures  was  delivered,  by  invitation  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  South  Boston,  Thomas 
Driver,  pastor. 

"  In  compliance  with  an  invitation  from  Rev. 
N.  Hervey,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church  in  An- 
dover,  Mass.,  Mr.  M.  commenced  a  course  of  lect- 
ures in  their  house  on  Sunday,  February  21, 
1841.  The  students  of  the  orthodox  institution 
there  requested  him  to   lecture   only   evenings, 


LABORS    IN   ANDOVEK.  149 

that  they  might  attend  his  full  course  ;  but  he 
could  not  consistently  comply  with  their  wishes. 
His  labors  continued  there  till  March  2,  and  were 
attended  by  a  very  large  and  attentive  audience. 
Mr.  Hervey,  in  whose  church  they  were  delivered, 
has  given  the  following  sketch  of  them  : — 

" '  His  exposition  of  the  prophecies,  together 
with  his  earnest  and  impressive  appeals  to  Chris- 
tians and  sinners  to  prepare  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord,  was  the  means  of  arousing  Christians  to 
action,  and  of  the  conversion  of  a  number  of 
persons  who  before  were  without  hope  and  with- 
out God  in  the  world.  In  the  course  of  the  lect- 
ures, an  incident  occurred  which  shows  his  fa- 
miliar acquaintance  with  the  Scriptures  and 
promptness  to  meet  objectors  to  his  views. 
About  the  fourth  day  of  his  labors  he  received  a 
letter,  signed  "Anonymous,"  containing  a  long 
list  of  passages  from  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments, which  were  evidently  quoted  by  "Anony- 
mous "  from  Tncmory,  without  naming  their  chap- 
ter and  verse.  These  passages  were  thought  by 
the  author  of  the  letter  to  be  directly  opposed  to 
Mr.  Miller's  view  of  the  near  approach  and  per- 
sonal reign  of  Christ  on  earth.  To  these  texts 
was  affixed  a  single  question.  The  letter,  on  be- 
ing taken  from  the  office,  was  presented  to  Mr. 
Miller,  who  read  it  through,  and  immediately 
said  :  "Anonymous  "  has  not  quoted  a  single  text 
right.  In  the  evening,  previous  to  his  lecture, 
he  took  the  letter  from  his  ])0cket,  and  inquired 
if  there  was  a  person  in  the  audience  by  the 
name  of  Anonymous.  If  so,  he  would  like  to 
have  him  stand  up.  The  house  was  filled  on 
that  evening  by  a  large  congregation.  Mr.  Miller 
waited  some  time  for  the  appearance  of  "Anony- 


150  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

mous ;"  the  congregation  remained  in  breathless 
silence  to  see  the  stranger.  But  no  one  answered 
to  the  call.  Mr.  Miller  then  read  the  letter,  and, 
as  he  read  each  passage,  also  read  the  same  from 
the  Bible.  The  audience  were  satisfied  that  not 
one  test  was  correctly  quoted.  Mr.  Miller  again 
repeated  the  call  for  "Anonymous  "  to  stand  up, 
if  he  was  present.  No  one  arose.  Mr.  Miller 
then  read  the  question  which  closed  the  letter, 
namely — "  Mr.  Miller,  how  dare  you  assert  your 
theory  with  so  much  confidence  without  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  Hebrew  and  Greek  languages  ?"  To 
this  Mr.  Miller  promptly  replied,  "If  I  am  not 
acquainted  ivWi  the  Hebrew  and  Greek,  I  know 
enough  to  quote  the  English  texts  of  the  Script- 
ures rightly."  "Anonymous  "  never  made  himself 
known,  and  it  was  the  impression  of  many  of 
the  audience  that  the  author  of  the  letter,  if  he 
was  skilled  in  the  Hebrew  and  Greek,  was  ex- 
ceedingly deficient  in  his  knowledge  of  the  En- 
glish Scriptures. 

" '  During  Mr.  Miller's  stay  in  Andover  several 
persons  called  to  converse  with  him  on  the  topics 
of  his  lectures,  and  he  was  very  ready  to  devote 
his  time  to  conversation  with  persons  desirous  of 
receiving  information.  He  entered  into  the  con- 
versation with  all  his  heart,  and  hundreds  will 
remember  with  delight  and  devout  gratitude  to 
God  the  interviews  they  have  enjoyed  with  him, 
and  the  instructions  they  have  received  from  his 
lips.  He  was  ever  ready  to  answer  all  reasona- 
ble questions,  and  could  generally  distinguish  be- 
tween the  ca viler  and  the  sincere  inquirer  after 
truth.  Two  young  men,  who  were  in  the  course 
of  study  at  the  Theological  Seminary  at  Andover, 
called  to  see  Mr.  Miller  while  at  the  house  of  the 


LECTURES    IN   BOSTON,  151 

writer,  and  spent  some  time  in  conversation  with 
him  upon  the  advent  of  Christ.  After  the  con- 
versation, as  they  were  about  leaving,  one  of  the 
young  men  asked  Mr.  Miller  the  following  ques- 
tion :  "  Well,  if  the  Lord  is  coming  so  soon,  Mr. 
Miller,  what  shall  ive  do  who  are  studying  for 
the  ministry  ?  We  have  some  time  yet  to  pre- 
pare for  the  pastoral  office." 

" '  To  this  the  good  man  promptly  replied  : 
"  Young  men,  if  God  has  called  you  to  study, 
keep  on  in  your  course,  and  I  will  aid  you  all  in 
my  power  ;  but  if  he  has  called  you  to  preach, 
study  your  Bibles,  and  commence  preaching  im- 
mediately," 

'•' '  The  young  men  bade  their  adviser  good  day. 

" '  N.  H,' 

"From  the  3d  to  the  13th  of  March,  he  lect- 
ured to  crowded  audiences  at  the  Marlboro' 
Chapel,  his  fifth  course  of  lectures  in  Boston, 
From  the  13th  to  the  l!)th  of  the  same  month, 
he  lectured  in  Fairhaven,  Mass.;  from  the  20th 
to  the  2Gth,  in  New  Bedford,  Mass.;  and  from  the 
27th  of  March  to  the  5th  of  April,  to  large  audi- 
ences in  Providence,  R.  I.  Tlie  Town  Hall,  a 
commodious  building,  was  granted  by  the  City 
Council  for  that  purpose.  On  Sunday,  the  4th, 
by  the  invitation  of  Rev.  Mr.  Jameson,  of  the  3d 
Baptist  Church,  he  lectured  there  all  day  to  full 
and  solemn  congregations.  His  keeping  no 
journal,  makes  it  impossible  to  give  the  particu- 
lar results  of  these  lectures ;  but  in  each  of  the 
last  three  places  a  large  number  of  intelligent 
members,  in  the  several  churches,  embraced  his 
views. 

"From  the  8th  to  the  loth  of  April,  1S41,  he 
labored  in  Lowell,  Mass.,  when,  after  an  absence 


152  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

of  three  months,  he  returned  home  to  enjoy  a 
season  of  rest.  At  this  time  he  estimated  that, 
since  the  1st  of  October,  1839,  he  had  '  traveled 
four  thousand  five  hundred  and  sixty  miles,  and 
preached  six  hundred  and  twenty- seven  lectures, 
averaging  one  and  a  half  hours  each,  resulting  in 
about  five  thousand  hopeful  conversions.' 

"  On  the  23d  of  May,  in  compliance  with  a 
very  urgent  request  from  Addison,  Vt.,  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  there,  which  contin- 
ued till  the  30th,  when  he  was  taken  sick  with  a 
painful  inflammation  in  his  left  limb.  He  im- 
mediately returned  home,  when  the  other  limb 
was  similarly  afiected.  This  terminated  in  pain- 
ful swellings  and  copious  discharges,  which  be- 
gan to  heal  about  the  10th  of  June,  but  confined 
him  to  his  room  till  the  last  of  August ;  so  that 
he  rested  from  labor  during  the  summer. 

"From  the  12th  to  the  20th  of  September,  he 
lectured  in  Hartford,  N.  Y.,  to  crowded  houses. 
On  the  26th  of  September,  and  onward  to  Octo- 
ber 6,  he  lectured  at  Ballston,  N.  Y. ;  and  on 
the  10th  of  October,  he  commenced  a  course  of 
lectures  at  Gal  way,  N.  Y.,  which  closed  on  the 
17th.  With  these  lectures  a  revival  commenced, 
which,  according  to  a  letter  from  Rev.  Wm.  B. 
Curtis,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  extended 
into  the  neighboring  towns.  Under  date  of 
March  12,  1842,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Miller  as  fol- 
lows : — 

" '  The  glorious  work  soon  became  general  and 
powerful,  and  we  continued  our  meetings  (in- 
cluding the  week  you  were  with  us)  eight  weeks, 
with  only  a  day  or  two  intermission.  I  find  I 
have  over  one  hundred  names  of  persons  who 
profess  to  have  obtained  hope  in  the  pardoning 


REVIVALS    IN    VARIOUS    PLACES.  153 

mercy  of  God.  Including  those  converted  in 
other  meetings  originating  from  this  revival,  it 
is  probable  that  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to 
two  hundred  have  been  converted  to  God  in  this 
vicinity  since  your  labors  here.  In  justice  to 
yourself  and  the  truth,  I  must  say  that  the  ex- 
tent and  power  of  this  glorious  revival  was 
greatly  promoted  by  your  lectures.  Many  con- 
verts date  their  first  impressions  from  hearing 
you.  The  work  has  prevailed  principally  in  the 
Baptist,  Methodist,  and  Christian  societies,  while 
there  have  been  but  few  conversions  among  the 
Presbyterians,  who  stood  aloof  from  you  when 
here.' 

"On  the  18th  of  October  he  returned  to  Low 
Hampton,  and  presided  at  a  Conference  of  Sec- 
ond Advent  believers,  which  assembled  in  the 
Baptist  church  there,  from  the  2d  to  the  5th  of 
November,  1841. 

"  On  the  10th  of  November,  in  compliance 
with  an  invitation  numerously  signed,  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  in  the  town-house  at 
Claremont,  N.  H.,  and  continued  to  the  18th. 
A  letter  signed  '  J.  Andrews,'  written  soon  after, 
states :  '  Now  all  the  town  is  aroused  to  the 
subject  of  religion.  The  Baptist,  Methodist,  and 
Conofreffational  societies  are  all  united  in  this 
work.  Some  are  converted,  and  from  sixty  to 
seventy -five  are  anxiously  seeking  the  Lord.' 

"On  the  14th  of  November,  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  Mr.  Parker,  pastor,  in  Cambridgeport, 
Mass.,  voted  unanimously  to  renew  an  invitation, 
which  they  had  some  time  before  extended  to 
Mr.  Miller,  and  with  which  he  had  been  unable 
to  comply,  to  give  a  course  of  lectures  there.  In 
compliance  with  that  request,  he  made  arrange- 


154  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

ments  to  commence  there  on  Sunday,  the  21st  of 
November ;  but,  in  consequence  of  the  breaking 
down  of  the  stage  on  Saturday,  he  was  detained 
in  Nashua  over  the  Sabbath,  and  gave  three  lect- 
ures to  the  citizens  of  that  place.  He  reached 
Cambridgeport  on  the  23d,  and  continued  till 
the  2Sth.  On  the  day  following,  he  commenced 
his  sixth  course  of  lectures  in  Boston,  at  Boyls- 
ton  Hall,  where  he  addressed  large  audiences 
each  day  and  evening  till  the  9th  of  December. 

'•  These  repeated  series  of  discourses  in  Boston 
had  a  powerful  effect  on  the  community.  As 
usual,  large  numbers  went  away,  unable  to  gain 
admittance,  and  many  were  hopefully  converted 
from  sin  to  holiness.  This  last  was  a  common 
feature  in  all  his  labors,  and  was  one  great  rea- 
son why  calls  from  those  who  did  not  entertain 
his  views  were  so  frequent  and  urgent.  This 
reason  is  given  in  an  invitation  extended  to  him 
by  the  Baptist  church  in  New  Ipswich,  N.  H., 
November  20,  1841.  Their  pastor,  J.  M.  Will- 
marth,  thus  writes:  'The  majority  desire  you  to 
come,  principally  because  they  have  understood 
that  your  addresses  to  sinners  are  plain  and  pun- 
gent, and  frequently  attended  with  the  divine 
blessing  in  the  conversion  of  souls.' 

"  A  course  of  lectures  in  Dover,  N.  H.,  contin- 
uing from  the  11th  to  the  19th  of  December,  ter- 
minated his  labors  for  the  year  1841. 

"  From  the  8th  to  the  IGth  of  January,  1842, 
he  lectured  at  Fonday's  Bush,  N.  Y.;  from  the 
17th  to  the  26tli  of  January,  in  Jamesville,  N, 
Y.;  and  from  the  27th  of  January  to  the  3d  of 
February,  in  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Sandy 
Hill,  N.  Y.  A  conference  of  Advent  believers 
was  held  in  this  church,  commencing  on  the  1st 


ADMISSIONS    OF    A    LAWYER.  155 

of  February  and  closing  on  the  4th.  The  services 
were  held  the  last  evening  at  the  court-house. 
On  that  occasion  about  one  hundred  persons 
arose  for  prayer,  and  a  revival  commenced  which 
continued  for  weeks.  On  this  evening  an  inci- 
dent occurred  which  did  much  to  deepen  the  im- 
pressions made  by  the  lecture.  H.  B.  Northop, 
Esq.,  a  prominent  lawyer  of  that  county,  arose,  at 
the  close  of  the  meeting,  and  remarked  that  he 
had  stood  at  that  bar  many  times  and  addressed 
a  jury  of  twelve  sensible  men,  presenting  evidence 
and  arguments  which  he  knew  were  weak  and 
fallacious,  a,nd  he  knew  others  might  have  seen 
it ;  but  he  liad  sat  down  with  the  confident  ex- 
pectation that  those  twelve  men  would  give  him 
their  verdict.  He  had  attended  these  lectures, 
and  had  done  it  with  a  mind  strongly  predis- 
posed to  reject  the  doctrine,  and  exceedingly 
skeptical.  He  had  attended  with  a  determina- 
tion, if  possible  to  overthrow  the  theory,  and  to 
exult  with  a  feeling  of  triumph  if  he  succeeded. 
He  had  watched  every  word  and  sentence,  and 
made  an  effort  at  every  point  where  he  thought 
there  was  a  possibility  of  making  a  breach  ;  but 
had  been  unable  to  do  it.  And  now,  after  mak- 
ing himself  acquainted  with  history,  sacred  and 
profane,  with  prophecies  and  prophetic  periods, 
so  far  as  his  circumstances  would  permit  him  to 
do,  he  would  frankly  confess  that  he  had  never 
found  any  theory  that  would  compare  with  this 
for  strength  of  evidence.  He  would  not  say  he 
believed  the  event  would  come  in  1843,  or  within 
ten  years  of  that ;  but  he  could  see  no  reason 
why  it  would  not  take  place  then  !  At  any  rate, 
he  was  satisfied,  if  there  was  any  truth  in  the 
Bible,  the  event  was  near  :  and  this  is  the  nearest 


156  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

calculation  we  can  possibly  come  to  respectiDg 
the  time. 

"  The  effect  of  such  a  declaration,  from  such  a 
source,  can   be  better  imagined  than  described. 

"  Rev.  Seth  Ewer,  in  a  letter  of  the  2d  of  March 
following,  wrote : — 

" '  For  about  four  weeks  we  continued  meet- 
ings, day  and  evening We  find  new  cases 

of  conviction  daily,  and  frequent  hopeful  conver- 
sions. Our  house  of  worship  is  thronged  every 
evening.  Last  Sabbath  evening  the  question  was 
put,  whether  they  wished  to  continue  the  serv- 
ices ;  and  hundreds  arose  in  the  affirmative.  .  .  . 
Between  fifty  and  sixty  profess  to  have  obtained 
a  hope.' 

"  From  the  12th  of  February,  1842,  to  the  17th, 
he  lectured  in  Benson,  Vt.  At  the  close  of  this 
meeting  he  took  a  violent  cold,  which  prevented 
him  from  speaking  for  a  few  days.  He  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  at  Nashua,  N.  H.,  on 
the  24th  of  February  ;  but,  after  speaking  a  few 
times  to  crowded  houses,  the  state  of  his  lungs 
and  the  want  of  a  suitable  place  to  speak  in 
compelled  him  to  relinquish  his  labors  there  on 
the  third  day. 

"  From  the  Cth  to  the  9  th  of  March,  Mr.  Miller 
lectured  in  Medford,  Mass.  While  here  a  friend 
took  him  to  a  phrenologist  in  Boston,  with  whom 
he  was  himself  acquainted,  but  who  had  no  sus- 
picion whose  head  he  was  about  to  examine.  The 
phrenologist  commenced  by  saying  that  the  per- 
son under  examination  had  a  large,  well-devel- 
oped, and  well-balanced  head.  While  examining 
the  moral  and  intellectual  organs,  he  said  to  Mr. 
Miller's  friend  : — - 

'"I  tell  you  what  it  is,  Mr.  Miller  could  not 


THE    PHRENOLOGIST.  157 

easily  make  a  convert  of  this  nuDi  to  liis  hair- 
brained  theory.     He  has  too  much  good  sense.' 

"  Thus  he  proceeded,  making  comparisons  be- 
tween the  head  he  was  examining  and  the  head 
of  Mr.  Miller,  as  lie  fancied  it  would  be. 

'"  Oh,  how  I  should  like  to  examine  Mr.  Miller's 
head  ! '  said  he  ;  'I  would  give  it  one  squeezing.' 

"The  phrenologist,  knowing  that  the  gentle- 
man was  a  particular  friend  of  Mr.  Miller,  spared 
no  pains  in  going  out  of  the  way  to  make  re- 
marks upon  him.  Putting  his  hand  on  the  or- 
gan of  marvelousness,  he  said :  '  There  !  I'll  bet 
you  anything  that  old  Miller  has  got  a  bump  on 
his  head  there  as  big  as  my  fist;'  at  the  same 
time  doubling  up  his  fist  as  an  illustration. 

"  The  others  present  laughed  at  the  perfection  of 
the  joke,  and  be  heartily  joined  them,  supposing 
they  were  laughing  at  his  witticisms  on  Mr.  Mil- 
ler. 

"  'He laughed  ;  't  was  well.     The  tale  applied 
Soon  made  him  laiigh  on  t'  other  side. ' 

"  He  pronounced  the  head  of  the  gentleman  un- 
der examination,  the  reverse,  in  every  particular, 
of  what  he  declared  Mr.  Miller's  must  be.  When 
through,  he  made  out  his  chart,  and  politely 
asked  Mr.  Miller  his  name. 

"  Mr.  Miller  said  it  was  of  no  consequence  about 
putting  his  name  upon  the  chart ;  but  the  phren- 
ologist insisted. 

"'Very  well,'  said  Mr.  M. ;  'you  may  call-  it 
Miller,  if  you  choose.' 

"  'Miller,  Miller,'  said  he;  '  what  is  your  first 
name  ? ' 

" '  They  call  me  William  Miller.' 


158  LIJfE   OP   MILLER. 

" '  What !  the  gentleman  who  is  lecturing  on  the 
prophecies  ? ' 

" '  Yes,  sir,  the  same.' 

"  At  this  the  phrenologist  settled  back  in  his 
chair,  the  personation  of  astonishment  and  dismay, 
and  spoke  not  a  word  while  the  company  re- 
mained. His  feelings  may  be  more  easily  imag- 
ined than  described. 

"The  following  description  of  Mr.  Miller's 
phrenological  developments  were  furnished  by  a 
phrenological  friend  in  1842,  and  may  be  of  some 
interest  to  those  acquainted  with  that  science  : — 

"  Organs  very  large. — Amativeness,  Adhe- 
siveness, Combativeness,Firm.ness,  Conscientious- 
ness, Benevolence,  Constructiveness,  Ideality,  Cal- 
culation, Comparison. 

"  Large. — Philoprogenitiveness,  Alimentive- 
ness.  Acquisitiveness,  Self-Esteem,  Imitation, 
Mirthfulness,  Form,  Size,  Ordei-,  Locality,  Event- 
uality, Time,  Language,  Causality. 

"  Full.  —  Inhabitiveness,  Concentrativeness, 
Caution,  Approbation,  Wonder,  Veneration, 
Weight,  Color,  Tune. 

•  "Moderate. — Marvelousness,      Secretiveness, 
Hope,  Individuality. 

"From  the  12th  to  the  20th  of  March,  he  lect- 
ured in  the  Town  Hall  in  Worcester,  Mass.  The 
meetings  were  well  attended,  the  hall  being 
crowded  during  most  of  the  time  ;  tv.^o  thousand 
people  were  judged  to  have  been  present.  While 
explaining  the  7th  chapter  of  Daniel,  Mr.  M.  very 
significantly  inquired  how  there  could  be  a  mil- 
lennium, according  to  the  common  understanding 
of  it,  while  the  little  horn  warred  with  the 
saints,  which  he  was  to  do  till  the  coming  of  the 


WORCESTER  AND  HARTFORD.  159 

Ancient  of  Days  ?  A  Baptist  clergyman  arose, 
and  offered  to  answer  that  question  the  following 
morning.  The  next  morning  he  came  in  and  re- 
quested additional  time,  and  his  answer  was  post- 
poned another  day.  When  that  time  arrived  he 
came  in  and  presented  the  common  view  respect- 
ing the  millennium,  and  inquired  if  there  was  no 
way  to  harmonize  that  text  with  it.  Mr.  M.  said, 
that  was  what  they  were  waiting  for  him  to  do  ! 
But  he  left  it  there.  This  caused  Mr,  M.  to  be 
listened  to  with  more  than  usual  interest.  A 
revival  attended  his  labors,  and  considerable  ef- 
fect was  produced  on  the  public  mind. 

From  the  22d  to  the  28th,  he  lectured  in  the 
City  Hall  in  Hartford,  Ct.  From  two  hundred 
to  three  hundred  persons  in  that  city  became  fa- 
vorable to  his  views  as  the  result  of  those  lect- 
ures, Mr,  M.  was  prevented  from  giving  his 
whole  course  of  lectures,  on  this  occasion,  by  a 
severe  attack  of  catarrh  and  influenza,  which 
made  him  unable  to  proceed.  The  Hartford 
Christian  Secretary,  a  Baptist  periodical,  said  of 
these  meetings  : — 

'"  One  fact  connected  with  this  conference  struck 
us  somewhat  forcibly  ;  and  that  was,  the  immens'e 
crowd  which  attended  the  whole  course  of  lect- 
ures. We  are  unable  to  speak  of  the  attendance 
during  the  day,  but  in  the  evening  the  large  hall 
was  filled  to  overflowing  with  attentive  listeners. 
Probably  not  less  than  from  fifteen  hundred  to 
two  thousand  persons  were  in  attendance  every 
evening.  This  large  mass  of  hearers  was  made 
up  from  nearly  or  quite  every  congregation  in  the 
city.  How  many  of  them  have  become  converts 
to  this  new  doctrine  we  have  no  means  of  judg- 
ing, but  presume  the  number  is  not  ver}^  small. 


IGO  LIFE   OF   MILLEU. 

Of  one  thing  we  are  satisfied,  and  that  is  this : 
unless  the  clergy,  generally,  present  a  better  the- 
ory than  the  one  ottered  by  Mr.  Miller,  the  doc- 
trine will  prevail  to  a  very  general  extent.' 

"  It  was  on  this  occasion  that  the  writer  of  this 
became  convinced  that  the  second  advent  is  to  be 
pre-millennial ;  and  the  first  resurrection,  a  '  res- 
urrection out  from  among  the  dead.'  At  the 
close  of  these  labors,  Mr.  M.  returned  to  Low 
Hampton,  for  that  rest  which  his  overtasked 
frame  now  greatly  needed. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

LECTURES  IN  NEW  YORK — NEWARK — SARATOGA — NEAVBURY- 

PORT — PALMER — THE    EAST    KINGSTON    CAMP-MEETING 

BRANDON — BENSON — CHICKOPEE — NEW  HAVEN,  ETC. 

"  On  the  24th  of  April  he  commenced  a  course 
of  lectures  in  the  large  hall  of  the  Apollo,  410 
Broadway,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  as  usual  to 
large  audiences,  closing  on  the  10th  of  May. 

"  On  the  7th  of  May,  he  visited  Newark,  N.  J., 
and  gave  two  discourses  in  the  Universalist  chapel 
in  that  city.  In  compliance  with  three  very  urg- 
ent requests  from  Rev.  Joshua  Fletcher,  pastor, 
and  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 
Saratoga,  N.  Y.,  Mr.  M.  again  visited  that  place, 
and  lectured  from  the  14th  to  the  22d  of  May. 
From  the  24th  to  the  28th  of  May,  he  gave  his 
seventh  course  of  lectures  in  Boston ;  and  from 
the  29th  of  May  to  the  3d  of  June,  1842,  he  lect- 
ured in  Newburyport,  Mass.  At  the  commence- 
ment of  his  lecture,  in  the  evening  of  the  first 


A    CHRISTIAN    LETTER.  IGl 

day,  an  ligg  was  tlivown  into  the  hall,  at  him,  Lut 
fell  upon  the  side  of  the  desk.  At  the  close, 
stones  were  thrown  through  the  windows,  by  a 
mob  outside,  who  indulged  in  some  characteristic 
hootings  and  kindred  noises.  The  congregation 
dispersed  without  damage,  save  the  glass  of  lamps 
and  windows.  Under  those  circumstances,  the 
town  authorities  closed  the  hall,  and  the  lectures 
were  adjourned  to  the  chapel  in  Hale's  Court, 
They  continued  till  Friday,  June  3,  a  goodly  num- 
ber having  received  Christ  to  the  joy  of  their 
souls. 

"From  the  4th  to  the  12th  of  June,  he  gave  a 
second  course  of  lectures  in  the  Casco-street 
church,  Portland,  Me.  They  were  attended  by 
crowds  of  anxious  hearers,  and  many  Christians 
were  refreshed,  while  some  sinners  were  converted 
to  God.  From  the  IGth  to  the  2Gth  of  June,  he 
lectured  at  Three  Rivers  (in  Palmer,  Mass.)  A 
member  of  the  Baptist  church  there  afterward 
wrote,  through  the  Christian  Reflector,  the  organ 
of  that  denomination,  as  follows  : — 

" '  Dear  Brother  Graves  : — It  is  with  grati- 
tude to  God  that  I  am  able  to  turn  aside  from 
the  joyful  scenes  around  me  to  inform  the  friends 
in  Zion  what  God  hath  wrought  for  us.  Rev. 
William  Miller,  on  the  IGth  of  June  last,  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  on  the  second  advent 
of  Christ  to  this  world  in  1843.  The  lectures 
were  delivered  in  our  meeting-house,  which,  how- 
ever, would  hold  but  a  small  part  of  the  audience, 
it  being  estimated  at  five  thousand ;  and  notwith- 
standing prepossessions,  prejudices,  and  the  slan- 
derous reports  circulated  about  this  man  of  God, 

Miller.  1 1 


162  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

tlie  people  gave  heed  to  the  word  spoken,  mid 
seemed  determined  to  examine  the  Scriptures,  to 
see  if  these  things  were  so  ;  and  deep  solemnity 
pervaded  the  vast  assembly.  The  children  of 
God  were  soon  aroused  to  a  sense  of  their  duty ; 
sinners  were  seen  weeping,  and  heard  to  say, 
"  Pray  for  me  !"  The  number  increased,  until  one 
hundred  in  an  evening  prayer-meeting  were  seen 
to  arise  to  be  remembered  in  the  prayers  of  the 
saints.  Soon  converts  began  to  tell  us  what  the 
Lord  had  done  for  them.  Some  deists,  some  Uni- 
versalists,  and  many  of  the  thoughtless,  of  both 
the  middle-aged  and  the  youthful  part  of  the  com- 
munity, have  been  brought  to  submit  their  hearts 
to  God,  and  are  now  waiting  for  and  hasting  to 
the  coming  of  the  day  of  God.  As  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  work,  let  me  say,  I  have  never  seen 
a  more  thorough  conviction  of  the  total  depravity 
of  the  heart,  and  the  utter  helplessness  of  the 
sinner,  and  that,  if  saved,  it  must  be  by  the  sov- 
ereign grace  of  God,  than  has  been  manifest  in  all 
that  have  given  a  relation  of  their  experience.' 

"  On  the  29th  of  June,  1842,  Mr.  M.  commenced 
a  course  of  lectures  on  the  camp-ground  at  East 
Kingston,  N.  H.  This  was  the  first  camp-meeting 
held  by  believers  in  the  advent  near,  and  was 
noticed  by  a  writer  in  the  Boston  Post  as  follows : — 

" '  The  Second  Advent  camp-meeting,  which 
commenced  at  East  Kingston,  N.  H.,  on  Tuesday, 
June  29,  and  continued  from  day  to  day  until 
Tuesday  noon,  July  5,  was  attended  by  an  im- 
mense concourse  of  people,  variously  estimated 
at  from  seven  to  ten  thousand 

"  '  The  meeting  was  conducted  with  great  reg- 
ularity and  good  order  from  beginning  to  end. 
The  ladies  were  seated  on  one  side,  and  the  gen- 


THE    POET,    WHITTIRU.  IG.") 

tlemcn  on  the  other,  of  the  speaker;  meals  were 
served  uniformly  and  punctually  at  the  times 
appointed,  and  the  same  punctuality  was  observed 
as  to  the  hours  appointed  for  the  services. 

" '  The  preachers  were  twelve  or  fifteen,  Mr. 
Miller  gave  the  only  regular  course  of  lectures — 
the  others  speaking  occasionally.  Many  of  the 
people,  without  doubt,  assembled  from  motives  of 
curiosity  merely ;  but  the  great  body  of  them, 
from  their  solemn  looks  a-nd  close  attention  to  the 
subject,  were  evidently  actuated  by  higher  and 
more  important  motives.  Each  tent  was  under 
the  supervision  of  a  tent- master,  who  was  respon- 
sible for  the  good  order  within  the  same,  where 
religious  exercises  were  kept  up  at  the  intermis- 
sions between  the  public  exercises  and  meals,  and 
where  lights  were  kept  burning  through  the 
night.     ... 

" '  Some  fault  was  found,  or  dissatisfaction  felt, 
with  that  part  of  the  regulations  which  precluded 
all  controversy,  i.  e.,  which  prevented  people  of 
opposite  theological  sentiments  from  occupying 
the  time  or  distracting  the  attention  of  the  audi- 
ence, which  would  otherwise  have  introduced 
confusion  and  defeated  the  object  of  the  meeting. 
Nothing  could  be  more  reasonable  than  this  reg- 
ulation, and  no  peace-loving  person  would  make 
any  objection.  .  .  .  The  meeting  broke  up 
with  harmony  and  good  feeling.' 

"A  few  years  later,  a  distinguished  American 
writer  and  poet,  J.  G.  Whittier,  who  was  present 
at  this  meeting,  made  the  following  reference  to 
it:— 

" '  Three  or  four  years  ago,  on  my  way  east- 
ward, I  spent  an  hour  or  two  at  a  camp-ground 
of  the  Second  Advent  in  East  Kingston.     The 


164  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

spot  was  well  chosen.  A  tall  growth  of  }>ine  and 
hemlock  threw  its  melancholy  shadow  over  the 
multitude,  who  were  arranged  upon  rough  seats 
of  boards  and  logs.  Several  hundred — perhaps 
a  thousand — people  were  present,  and  more  were 
rapidly  coming.  Drawn  about  in  a  circle,  form- 
ing a  background  of  snowy  whiteness  to  the  dark 
masses  of  men  and  foliage,  were  the  white  tents, 
and  back  of  them  the  provision  stalls  and  cook 
shops.  When  I  reached  the  ground,  a  hymn, 
the  words  of  which  I  could  not  distinguish,  was 
pealing  through  the  dim  aisles  of  the  forest.  I 
know  nothinor  of  music,  having  neither  ear  nor 
taste  for  it ;  but  I  could  readily  see  that  it  had 
its  effect  upon  the  multitude  before  me,  kindling 
to  higher  intensity  their  already  excited  enthu- 
siasm. The  preachers  were  placed  in  a  rude  pul- 
pit of  rough  boards,  carpeted  only  by  the  dead 
forest  leaves  and  flowers,  and  tasselled,  not  with 
silk  and  velvet,  but  with  the  green  boughs  of  the 
somber  hemlocks  around  it.  One  of  them  fol- 
lowed the  music  in  an  earnest  exhortation  on  the 
duty  of  preparing  for  the  great  event.  Occasion- 
ally he  was  really  eloquent,  and  his  description 
of  the  last  day  had  all  the  terrible  distinctness  of 
Anelli's  painting  of  the  "  End  of  the  World." 

" '  Suspended  from  the  front  of  the  rude  pul- 
pit were  two  broad  sheets  of  canvas,  upon  one 
of  which  was  the  figure  of  a  man — the  head  of 
gold,  the  breast  and  arras  of  silver,  the  belly  of 
brass,  the  legs  of  iron,  and  feet  of  clay — the 
dream  of  Nebuchadnezzar  I  On  the  other  were 
depicted  the  wonders  of  the  Apocalyptic  vision — 
the  beasts — the  dragon — the  scarlet  woman  seen 
by  the  seer  of  Patmos — oriental  types  and  fig- 
ures and  mystic  symbols  translated  into  staring 


GREAT  REVIVAL  IN  CHICOPEE.         1G5 

Yankee  realities,  and  exhibited  like  the  beasts  of 
a  traveling  menagerie.  One  horrible  image,  with 
its  hideous  heads  and  scaly  caudal  extremity,  re- 
minded me  of  the  tremendous  line  of  Milton,  who, 
in  speaking  of  the  same  evil  dragon,  describes 
him  as 

"  '  Swinging  the  scaly  horrors  of  his  folded  tail.' 

" '  To  an  imaginative  mind  the  scene  was  full 
of  novel  interest.  The  v^hite  circle  of  tents — the 
dim  wood  arches — the  upturned,  earnest  faces — 
the  loud  voices  of  the  speakers,  burdened  with 
the  awful  symbolic  language  of  the  Bible — the 
smoke  from  the  fires  rising  like  incense  from  for- 
est altars — carrying  one  back  to  the  days  of 
primitive  worship,  when 

"  'The  groves  were  God's  first  teruples,  ere  men  learned 
To  hew  the  shaft,  and  lay  the  architrave, 
And  stretch  the  roof  above  it.' 

"  There  were  near  thirty  tents  on  the  ground, 
and  the  interest  of  the  meeting  continued  to  the 
last.  Mr.  Miller  left  the  ground  on  the  4th  of 
July,  for  Northampton,  Mass.,  where  he  lectured 
from  the  5th  to  the  7th,  and  then  proceeded  to 
Low  Hampton. 

"  He  remained  at  home  till  past  the  middle  of 
August.  On  the  20th  of  that  month  he  com- 
menced a  course  of  lectures  at  Brandon,  Vt., 
which  continued  till  the  2Sth.  On  the  2.5th,  a 
large  tent  had  been  pitched  at  Chicopee,  Mass., 
where  Mr.  Miller  was  anxiously  expected  ;  but 
he  did  not  arrive  so  as  to  commence  his  lectures 
till  the  1st  of  September.  He  then  lectured  each 
day  till  the  4th,  when  the  meeting  closed.  That 
was  a  very  large  gathering,  and,  as  was  estimated. 


166  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

some  four  hundred  or  more  found  peace  in  be- 
lieving. 

"From  the  7th  to  the  1 1th  of  September,  he  lect- 
ured at  Castine,  Maine.  On  returning  to  Bos- 
ton, on  the  12th,  at  the  request  of  the  passengers, 
he  gave  a  lecture  on  the  boat.  He  went  to  Al- 
bany on  the  13th,  lectured  there  in  the  evening, 
and  on  the  next  day  took  the  canal- boat,  on 
which  he  also  lectured,  on  his  way  to  Granville, 
N.  Y.,  where  he  lectured  from  the  18th  to  the  28d 
of  September.  From  the  8th  to  the  16th  of  Oc- 
tober, he  lectured  in  Whitehall,  N.  Y.,  and  from 
the  20th  to  the  30th,  at  Benson,  Vt.,  where  Mr. 
Himes  held  a  tent-meeting  in  connection  with 
his  lectures. 

"  On  the  8d  of  November,  Mr.  Hiincs  erected 
the  big  tent  in  Newark,  N.  J.  Mr.  Miller  was  not 
able  to  be  present  till  the  7th,  from  which  time 
to  the  14th  he  gave  fifteen  discourses.  Five  days 
before  the  close  of  that  meeting  the  weather  be- 
came so  inclement  that  the  meetings  could  not 
be  continued  in  the  tent,  and  they  were  ad- 
journed to  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Clinton 
street,  which  was  kindly  opened  during  the  week. 
On  Sunday,  the  13th,  the  meeting  was  held  in 
the  morning  in  Mechanic's  Hall,  which  was  crowd- 
ed to  suflbcation,  and  found  to  be  altogether  too 
strait  for  them.  At  2  p.  m.,  Mr.  Miller  spoke  from 
the  steps  of  the  court  house  to  nearly  five  thou- 
sand people.  Notwithstanding  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather,  and  their  being  thus  driven  from 
pillar  to  post,  the  meetings  were  very  interesting, 
and  Avere  productive  of  much  good. 

"  At  the  close  of  the  meeting  in  Newark,  he 
commenced  a  course  of  lectures  in  New  York  city, 
which  continued  till  the  18th  of  November.     On 


THE  TEMPERANCE  FOUNTAIN.  167 

the  19th  of  November,  he  commenced  a  course 
of  lectures  in  New  Haven,  Ct.,  in  the  M.  E.  churcli. 
Rev.  Mr.  Law,  pastor.  On  Sunday,  the  20th,  al- 
though the  house  was  large,  it  was  crowded ;  and 
in  the  evening  many  were  unable  to  gain  admit- 
'  tance.  He  continued  there  till  the  2Gth,  the  in- 
terest continuing  during  the  entire  course.  The 
Fountain,  a  temperance  paper  published  in  that 
city,  gave  the  following  account  of  the  meeting : — 
" '  Mr.  William  Miller,  the  celebrated  writer 
and  lecturer  on  the  second  advent  of  our  Saviour, 
and  the  speedy  destruction  of  the  world,  has  re- 
cently visited  our  city,  and  delivered  a  course  of 
lectures  to  an  immense  concourse  of  eager  listen- 
ers in  the  First  Methodist  church.  It  is  estimated 
that  not  less  than  three  thousand  persons  were 
in  attendance  at  the  church,  on  each  evening,  for 
a  week;  and  if  the  almost  breathless  silence 
which  reigned  throughout  the  immense  throng 
for  two  or  three  hours  at  a  time  is  any  evidence 
of  interest  in  the  subject  of  the  lectures,  it  cannot 
be  said  that  our  community  are  devoid  of  feeling 
on  this  momentous  question. 

"'Mr.  Miller  was  accompanied  and  assisted  by 
Rev.  J.  V.  Himes,  who  is  by  no  means  an  in- 
efficient coadjutor  in  this  great  and  important 
work.  We  did  not  attend  the  whole  course,  the 
last  three  lectures  being  all  we  had  an  opportu- 
nity of  hearing.  We  were  utterly  disappointed. 
So  many  extravagant  things  had  been  said  of 
the  "fanatics  "  in  tlie  public  prints,  and  such  dis- 
torted statements  published  in  reference  to  their 
articles  of  faith,  that  we  were  prepared  to  wit- 
ness disgusting,  and  perhaps  blasphemous,  exhi- 
bitions of  "Millerism,"  as  the  doctrine  of  the 
second  advent  is  called. 


168  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

'"In  justice  to  Mr.  Miller  we  are  constrained 
to  say  that  he  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
lecturers  we  have  any  recollection  of  ever  having 
heard.  We  have  not  the  least  doubt  that  he  is 
fully  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  he 
labors  so  diligently  to  inculcate,  and  he  certainly 
evinces  great  candor  and  fairness  in  his  manner 
of  proving  his  points.  And  he  proves  them,  too, 
to  the  satisfaction  of  every  hearer;  that  is,  allow- 
ing his  premises  to  be  correct,  there  is  no  getting 
away  from  his  conclusions. 

" '  There  was  quite  a  number  of  believers  in 
attendance  from  other  places,  and  a  happier  com- 
pany we  have  never  seen.  We  have  no  means 
of  ascertaining  the  precise  effect  of  these  meet- 
ings on  this  community,  but  we  know  that  many 
minds  have  been  induced  to  comtemplate  the 
Scripture  prophecies  in  a  new  light,  and  not  a 
few  are  studying  the  Bible  with  unwonted  in- 
terest. For  our  own  part,  this  new  view  of  the 
world's  destiny  is  so  completely  at  variance  with 
previous  habits  of  thought  and  anticipation  that 
we  are  not  prepared  to  give  it  entire  credence, 
though  we  should  not  dare  hazard  an  attempt  to 
disprove  it. 

" '  The  best  part  of  the  story  is,  that  a  power- 
ful revival  has  followed  the  labors  of  Messrs.  Mil- 
ler and  company.  We  learn  that  over  fifty  per- 
sons presented  themselves  for  prayers  at  the  altar 
of  the  Methodist  church  on  Sunday  evening.  On 
Monday  evening  the  number  was  about  eighty.' 

"  In  the  month  of  May  following.  Rev.  A.  A. 
Stevens  (Orthodox  Cong.),  then  a  member  of 
Yale  College,  in  a  letter  to  the  Midnight  Cry, 
stated    that  '  the  powerful  and   glorious  revival 


LETTER  FROM  MILLER.  169 

which  then  commenced,  continued  for  some  two 
months,  with  ahnost  unabated  interest.' 

"  At  the  close  of  these  lectures,  Mr.  M.  returned 
to  New  York  city,  where  he  gave  six  discourses, 
from  the  27th  to  the  29th  of  November,  and  then 
returned  to  Low  Hampton.  Arriving  home,  he 
wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  '  Low  Hampton,  Dec.  7,  1842. 

" '  Dear  Brother  Himes  : I  did  not 

get  home  till  10  o'clock  on  Saturday  night.  On 
Wednesday,  at  6  o'clock,  p.  ]M.,  same  day  we  left 
New  York,  we  were  brought  up  all  standing  in 
a  snow-bank,  which  we  kept  bunting,  with  two 
or  three  locomotives,  until  the  next  evening  at 
7  o'clock.  On  Thursday,  by  the  mighty  power 
of  three  locomotives,  we  gained  twelve  miles 
from  Great  Barrington,  where  we  were  brought 
up  the  night  before,  to  the  state  line,  where  they 
left  us  and  we  waited  for  the  Boston  cars,  which 
had  been  due  thirty  hours.  That  night  we  slept 
in  the  cars,  as  the  night  before,  and  Friday  we 
got  as  far  as  Lansingburg.  Saturday  I  came 
home,  cold  and  weary,  worn  out  and  exhausted. 
On  my  arrival,  I  found  a  messenger  after  me  and 
my  wife,  to  visit  her  mother,  who  was  supposed 
to  be  dying.  My  wife  went,  and  soon  returned 
with  the  news  of  her  death.  After  attending 
the  funeral,  we  came  home  on  Monday  night, 
and  yesterday  I  got  some  rest.  This  morning  I 
feel  some  refreshed.  But  the  fatigue  of  body  and 
mind  has  almost  unnerved  this  old  frame,  and 
unfitted  me  to  endure  the  burdens  which  Prov- 
idence calls  upon  me  to  bear.  I  find  that,  as  I 
grow  old,  I  grow  more  peevish,  and  cannot  bear 
so  much  contradiction.  Therefore  I  am  called 
uncharitable  and  severe.     No  matter;  this  frail 


170  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

life  will  soon  be  over.  My  Master  will  soon  cali 
me  home,  and  soon  the  scoffer  and  I  shall  be  in 
another  world,  to  render  our  account  before  a 
righteous  tribunal.  I  will  therefore  appeal  to 
the  Supreme  Court  of  the  Universe  for  the  re- 
dress of  grievances,  and  the  rendering  of  judg- 
ment in  my  favor,  by  a  revocation  of  the  judg- 
ment in  the  court  below.  The  Woi'ld  and  Clergy 
vs.  Miller. 
" '  I  remain,  looking  for  the  blessed  hope, 

'"William  Miller.' 


CHAPTER   X. 

•SYNOPSIS  OF  HIS  VIEWS — ADDKESS  TO  BELIEVERS  IN  THE 
NEAR  ADVENT  —  INTERVIEW  AT  AVATERFORD  —  TJTICA — 
DISTURBANCE  AT  PHILADELPHIA — THE  THIRD  OF  APRIL 
— STATEMENT   OF   HIS   AFFAIRS,    ETC. 

"  Mr.  Miller  had  not  been  sufficiently  definite 
respecting  the  time  of  the  advent,  in  the  estima- 
tion of  some  who  embraced  his  views.  The  ex- 
pression 'about  the  year  1843'  they  regarded  as 
too  general.  As  he  was  about  to  enter  on  the 
long-looked-for  year,  he  prepared  and  published 
the  following 

SYNOPSIS    OF    HIS    VIEWS. 

"  1.  I  believe  Jesus  Christ  will  come  again  to 
this  earth.  Proof  John  14:3;  Acts  1:11;  1 
Thess.  4:16;  Rev.  1:7. 

"  2.  I  believe  he  will  come  in  all  the  glory  of 
his  Father.     Matt.  Ul :  27 ;  Mark  8  :  38. 


SYNOPSIS   OF   HIS    VIEWS.  171 

"  3.  I  believe  he  will  come  in  the  clouds  of 
heaven.    Matt.  24  :  30  ;  Mark  13  :  20  ;  Dan.  7  :  13. 

"  4.  I  believe  he  will  then  receive  his  kingdom, 
which  will  be  eternal.  Dan.  7:14;  Luke  19:12, 
15  ;  2  Tim.  4  : 1. 

"  5.  I  believe  the  saints  will  then  possess  the 
kingdom  forever.  Dan.  7  :  18,  22,  27  ;  Matt.  24  : 
34 ;  Luke  12  :  22,  29 ;  1  Cor.  9  :  25  ;  2  Tim.  4:8; 
Jas.  1:12;  1  Pet.  5  :  4. 

"  6.  I  believe  at  Christ's  second  coming  the 
body  of  every  departed  saint  will  be  raised,  like 
Christ's  glorious  body.  1  Cor.  15  :  20-29  ;  1  John 
3:2. 

"  7.  I  believe  that  the  righteous  vvho  are  living 
on  the  earth  when  he  comes  will  be  changed  from 
mortal  to  immortal  bodies,  and,  with  them  who 
are  raised  from  the  dead,  will  be  caught  up  to 
meet  the  Lord  in  the  air,  and  so  be  forever  with 
the  Lord.  1  Cor.  15  :  51-53  ;  Phil.  3  :  20,  21  ;  1 
Thess.  4  :  14-17. 

"  8.  I  belie ve_^the  saints  will  then  be  presented 
to  God  blameless,  without  spot  or  wrinkle,  in 
love.  1  Cor.  4:14;  Eph.  5:27;  Col.  1:22; 
Jude  24  :  1  Thess.  3  :  13  ;  1  Cor.  1 :  7,  8. 

"  9.  I  believe,  when  Christ  comes  the  second 
time,  he  will  come  to  finish  the  controversy  of 
Zion,  to  deliver  his  children  from  all  bondage,  to 
conquer  their  last  enemy,  and  to  deliver  them 
from  the  power  of  the  tempter,  which  is  the 
devil.  Deut.  24  : 1 ;  Isa.  34  :  8  ;  40  :  2,  5  ;  41  : 
10-12;  Rom.  8:21-23;  Heb.  2:13-15;  1  Cor. 
15:54,  56;  Rev.  20:1-6. 

"  10.  I  believe  that  when  Christ  comes  he  will 
destroy  the  bodies  of  the  living  wicked  by  fire, 
as  those  of  the  old  world  were  destroyed  by  wa- 
ter, and  shut  \i\)  their  souls  in  the  pit  of  woo,  un- 


172  LIFE   OF   MILLER, 

til  their  resurrection  unto  damnation.  Ps.  50  : 
3  ;  97  :  3  ;  Isa.  66  :  15,  16  ;  Dan.  7  :  10  ;    Mai.  4  : 

1  ;  Matt.  3:12;  1  Cor.  3  :  13  ;  1  Thess.  5  :  2,  3 ; 

2  Thess.  1:7-9;  1  Pet.  1  :  7 ;  2  Pet.  3  :  7,  10  ;  Isa. 
24  :  21,  22  ;  Jude  6-15  ;  Eev.  20  :  3-15  ;  John  5  : 
29;  Acts  24:15. 

"  11.  I  believe,  when  the  earth  is  cleansed  by 
fire,  that  Christ  and  his  saints  will  then  take 
possession  of  the  earth,  and  dwell  therein  forev- 
er. Then  the  kingdom  will  be  given  to  the 
saints.  Ps.  37:9-11,  22-34;  Prov.  2:21,  22; 
10  :  30  ;  Isa.  60  :  21  ;  Matt.  5:5;  Rev.  5  :  10. 

"12.  I  believe  the  time  is  appointed  of  God 
when  these  things  shall  be  accomplished.  Acts 
17:81;  Job  7  : 1 ;  14:14;  Ps.  81 : 3  ;  Isa.  40  :  2  ; 
Dan.  8:19;  10:1;  11 :  35  ;  Hab.  2:3;  Acts  17  : 
26. 

"  13.  I  believe  God  has  revealed  the  time.  Isa. 
44  :  7,  8  ;  45  :  20,  21  ;  Dan.  12:10;  Amos  3  : 7 ;  1 
Thess.  5  : 4. 

"14.  I  believe  many  who  are  professors  and 
preachers  will  never  believe  or  know  the  time 
until  it  comes  upon  them.  Jer.  8:7;  Matt.  24  : 
50  ;  Jer.  25  :  34-37. 

"15.  I  believe  the  wise,  they  who  are  to  shine 
as  the  brightness  of  the  firmament,  Dan.  12:3, 
will  understand  the  time.  Ecch  8:5;  Dan.  12  : 
10;  Matt.  24:43-45;  25:6-10;  1  Thess.  5:4; 
1  Pet.  1  :  9-13. 

"16.  I  believe  the  time  can  be  known  by  all 
who  desire  to  understand  and  to  be  ready  for 
his  coming.  And  I  am  fully  convinced  that 
some  time  between  March  21,  1843,  and  March 
21,  1844,  according  to  the  Jewish  mode  of  com- 
putation of  time,  Christ  will  come,  and  bring  all 
his  saints  with  him :  and  that  then  he  will  re- 


ADDRESS    TO    ADVENT    BELIEVERS.  173 

ward  every  man  as  his  works  shall  be.     Matt, 
1G:27;  Rev.  22:12. 

"  With  the  commencement  of  the  new  year,  he 
issued  the  following 

ADDRESS  TO  BELIEVERS    IN    THE    NEAR    ADVENT. 

"'Dear  Brethren: — This  year,  according  to 
our  faith,  is  the  last  year  that  Satan  will  reign 
in  our  earth.  Jesus  Christ  will  come,  and  bruise 
his  head.  The  kingdoms  of  the  earth  will  be 
dashed  to  pieces,  which  is  the  same  thing.  And 
he,  whose  right  it  is  to  reign,  will  take  the  king- 
dom, and  possess  it  forever  and  ever.  And  the 
God  of  peace  shall  tread  Satan  under  your  feet 
shortly.  Therefore,  we  have  but  a  little  time 
more  to  do  as  our  good  brother,  Paul,  was  com- 
manded, Acts  26  :  18,  to  open  their  eyes,  and  to 
turn  them  from  darkness  to  light,  and  from  the 
power  of  Satan  unto  God,  that  they  may  receive 
forgiveness  of  sins,  and  inheritance  among  them 
which  are  sanctified  by  faith  that  is  in  me. 

" '  Let  us  then  put  forth  our  best  energies  in 
this  cause ;  let  every  one  of  us  try,  by  persua- 
sion, by  the  help  and  grace  of  God,  to  get  one,  at 
least,  of  our  friends  to  come  to  Christ,  in  this 
last  year  of  redemption ;  and,  if  we  succeed, 
what  an  army  of  regenerated  souls  may  we  not 
hail  in  the  new  heavens  and  new  earth  !  I  pray 
God,  my  brethren,  that  nothing  may  deter  you 
from  this  work.  Let  scoffers  scoff,  and  liars  tell 
lies ;  we  must  not  suffer  ourselves  to  be  drawn 
from  our  work.  Yes,  the  glorious  work  of  sal- 
vation, within  a  few  short  months,  will  be  fin- 
ished forever.     Then  I  need  not  exhort  you  more 


174  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

on  this  point ;  you  yourselves  know  the  value  of 
tills  great  salvation. 

" '  And  another  thing  it  is  well  for  us  to  re- 
member. The  world  will  watch  for  our  halting. 
They  cannot  think  we  believe  what  we  speak, 
for  they  count  our  faith  a  strange  faith  ;  and  now 
beware,  and  not  give  them  any  vantage-ground 
over  us.  They  will,  perhaps,  look  for  the  halting 
and  falling  away  of  many.  But  I  hope  none  who 
are  looking  for  the  glorious  appearing  will  let 
their  faith  waver.  Keep  cool ;  let  patience  have 
its  perfect  work  ;  that,  after  ye  have  done  the 
will  of  God,  ye  may  receive  the  promise.  This 
year  will  try  our  faith  ;  we  must  be  tried,  puri- 
fied and  made  white ;  and  if  there  should  be  any 
among  us  who  do  not  in  heart  believe,  they  will 
go  out  from  us ;  but  I  am  persuaded  that  there 
cannot  be  many  such  ;  for  it  is  a  doctrine  so  re- 
pugnant to  the  carnal  heart,  so  opposite  to  the 
worldly-minded,  so  far  from  the  cold  professor, 
the  bigot  and  hypocrite,  that  none  of  them  will, 
or  can,  believe  in  a  doctrine  so  searching  as  the 
immediate  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ  to  judge  the 
world.  I  am,  therefore,  persuaded  better  things 
of  you,  brethren,  although  I  thus  speak.  I  be- 
seech you,  my  dear  brethren,  be  careful  that  Sa- 
tan get  no  advantage  over  you  by  scattering- 
coals  of  wild-fire  among  you ;  for  if  he  cannot 
drive  j'ou  into  unbelief  and  doubt,  he  will  try  his 
wild-fire  of  fanaticism  and  speculation  to  get  us 
from  the  word  of  God.  Be  watchful  and  sober, 
and  hope  to  the  end  for  the  grace  that  shall  be 
brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

" '  Think  not,  my  brethren,  that  I  stand  in 
doubt  of  your  perseverance,     I  know  your  faith, 


ADDRESS    TO    ADVENT    BELIEVERvS.  175 

your  love,  and  liope,  to  be  rooted  and  grounded 
on  the  word  of  the  Ahnighty.  Yon  are  not  de- 
pendent on  the  wisdom  or  commandments  of 
men.  Many,  if  not  all  of  you,  have  examined  for 
yourselves.  You  have  studied,  and  found  true, 
what  at  first  was  only  reported  unto  you.  You 
have  found  the  Bible  much  more  precious  than 
you  had  before  conceived ;  its  doctrines  to  be 
congenial  with  the  holy  and  just  character  of 
God ;  its  precepts  to  be  wise,  benevolent  and 
kind;  and  its  prophecies  to  be  clear  and  lucid, 
carrying  conviction  of  the  truth  and  inspiration 
of  the  Scriptures,  by  a  harmony  of  manner  and 
matter  from  Genesis  to  Revelation.  In  one  word, 
you  have  found  a  new  Bible,  and  I  hope  and  be- 
lieve you  have  read  it  with  new  delight.  I  fear 
not  that  you  can  ever  be  satisfied  with  the  views 
of  our  opponents ;  their  manner  of  explaining 
Scripture  is  too  carnal  to  satisfy  the  devoted 
child  of  God. 

"  '  Tlien  let  me  advise  to  a  continual  searching 
for  truth,  both  for  faith  and  practice  ;  and  wher- 
ever we  have  wandered  from  the  word  of  God, 
let  us  come  back  to  the  primitive  simplicity 
of  the  gospel  once  delivered  to  the  saints.  Thus 
we  shall  be  found  ready  at  his  coming  to  give  an 
account  of  our  stewardship,  and  hear  our  blessed 
Master  say,  "  Well  done,  thou  good  and  faithful 
servant ;  enter  thou  in  to  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 
Every  truth  we  get  from  the  blessed  book  pre- 
pares us  better  for  his  coming  and  kingdom.  Ev- 
ery error  prevents  us,  in  part,  from  being  ready. 
Let  us,  then,  stand  strong  in  the  faith,  with  our 
loins  girt  about  with  truth,and  our  lamps  trimmed 
and  burning,  and  waiting  for  our  Lord,  ready  to 
enter  the  promised  land,  the  true  inheritance  of 


17G  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

the  saints.  This  year  the  fullness  of  time  will 
come,  the  shout  of  victory  will  be  heard  in  Heav- 
en, the  triumphant  return  of  our  great  Captain 
may  be  expected,  the  new  song  will  commence 
before  the  throne,  eternity  begin  its  revolution, 
and  time  shall  be  no  more. 

"  '  This  year — 0  blessed  year — the  captive  will 
be  released,  the  prison  doors  will  be  opened,  death 
will  have  no  more  dominion  over  us,  and  life, 
eternal  life,  be  our  everlasting  reward.  This  year 
— 0  glorious  year  ! — the  trump  of  jubilee  will  be 
blown,  the  exiled  children  will  return,  the  pil- 
giims  reach  their  home,  from  earth  and  Heaven 
the  scattered  remnant  come  and  meet  in  the  mid- 
dle air, — the  fathers  before  the  flood,  Noah  and 
his  sons,  Abraham  and  his,  the  Jew  and  Gentile, 
all  who  have  died  in  faith,  of  eveiy  nation,  kin- 
dred, tongue,  and  people,  will  meet  to  part  no 
more.  This  year !  the  long-looked-for  year  of 
years  !  the  best !  it  is  come  !  I  shall  hope  to 
meet  you  all  through  faith  in  God  and  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb.  Until  then  farewell.  May  God 
bless  you,  and  sustain  you  in  the  faith. 

" '  May  you  be  patient  in  all  tribulation,  and 
endure  unto  the  end.  May  you  this  year  be 
crowned  with  immortality  and  glory.  And  final- 
ly, my  brethren,  pray  God,  your  whole  body, 
soul,  and  spirit,  be  preserved  blameless  unto  the 
coming  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.' 

" '  William  Miller. 

''  '  Low  Hampton,  Jan.  1,  18^3.' 

"  In  compliance  with  the  wishes  of  Elder  Mar- 
vin Eastwood  and  his  congregation,  in  Waterford, 
N.  Y. ,  Mr.  Miller  lectured  there  from  the  last  day 
of  December,  1842,  to  the  8th  of  January,  1843. 

"  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  the  Congre- 


INTERESTING    CONVERSATIONS.  17 

gational  minister  called  on  him,  with  a  deacon  of 
his  church,  and  wished  to  ask  him  a  few  questions. 
Five  other  gentlemen  soon  came  in,  and  took 
seats  in  the  room.  Mr.  Miller  told  the  clergyman 
tliat  he  might  ask  any  question  he  pleased,  and 
he  would  answer  the  best  he  could.  The  minister 
accordingly  asked  him  some  twenty  questions, 
each  one  of  which  Mr.  M.  answered  by  quoting  a 
text  of  Scripture,  He  then  thanked  Mr.  M.  for 
his  politeness,  and  acknowledged  that  he  had  an- 
swered him  fairly.  'But,'  said  he,  'I  do  not  be- 
lieve your  doctrine.' 

" '  What  doctrine  ? '  said  Mr.  M. 

"  'I  don't  believe  God  has  revealed  the  time." 

"  Mr.  M.  asked  him  if  he  would  answer  three 
questions.* 

"The  minister  replied  that  he  did  not  come 
there  to  answer  questions.  One  of  the  gentle- 
men present  then  inquired  of  the  minister  why 
he  would  not  answer.  He  said  he  did  not  come 
for  the  purpose  of  answering  questions,  and  did 
not  choose  to.  The  gentleman  then  said  to  him : 
'  I  have  disbelieved  the  Bible,  but  have  been  one 
of  your  principal  supporters  many  years ;  and, 
when  Mr.  Miller  has  answered  so  many  of  your 
questions,  if  you  will  not  let  him  ask  you  three, 
I  can  pay  you  no  more  of  my  money.'  He  added, 
'  I  have  seen  more  evidence  in  proof  of  the  truth 
of  the  Bible  in  the  few  lectures  I  have  heard  from 


*  Mr.  M.  was  in  the  habit  of  replying  to  those  who  denied  that 
God  has  revealed  the  time  by  asking  them  :  "  What  'wonders' 
are  referred  to  in  Daniel  12  :"G  ?  "  "  Who  gave  the  answer  to  the 
inquiry  there  asked?"  and  "  If  those  'wonders  '  include  the  res- 
urrection,—and  the  Lord  has  sworn  with  an  oath  that  it  shall  be 
for  a  time,  times,  and  a  half,— is  not  the  time  revealed  ? "  adding, 
"Whether  we  understand  it  correctly  or  not,  is  another  question. ' ' 
sniier.  1 2 


178  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

Mr.  M.  than  in  all  the  sermons  you  have  ever 
preached.' 

" '  Why,'  said  the  minister,  '  how  does  Mr. 
Miller  prove  the  truth  of  the  Bible  ? ' 

"'By  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy.' 

" '  And  do  not  I  prove  it  in  the  same  way  ?  Do 
not  I  show  how  all  the  prophecies  in  reference  to 
Christ  were  fulfilled  in  him  ? ' 

" '  Why,  yes,  you  do  that ;  but  you  have  never 
shown  that  those  prophecies  were  written  before 
Christ;  and  it  is  very  easy  to  write  a  history. 
But  Mr.  M.  has  shown  us  how  the  prophecies  are 
being  fulfilled  in  our  own  day  ;  he  has  shown  us 
how  the  history  of  Napoleon  is  a  perfect  fulfill- 
ment of  prophecy ;  and  I  hnoiv  that  that  proph- 
ecy was  written  before  the  time  of  Napoleon.' 

"  The  minister  and  deacon  retired.  The  gen- 
tleman then  turned  to  Mr.  Miller,  and  said  that 
he  and  his  four  companions  were  infidels ;  that 
they  had  attended  his  lectures  ;  had  become  quite 
interested ;  but  had  very  curious  feelings,  and 
wished  to  know  what  ailed  them. 

"Mr.  M.  inquired  whether  they  would  attend 
any  more  of  his  lectures. 

"  They  replied  that  they  should  lose  none  of 
them. 

"  '  Well,'  said  Mr.  M.,  '  I  think  I  will  not  tell 
you  what  ails  you  ;  but,  if  you  will  give  close  at- 
tention during  the  week,  I  think  you  will  find 
out.' 

"  They  attended  his  lectures,  and,  before  the 
end  of  the  week,  with  a  number  of  others  who 
had  been  infidels,  were  rejoicing  in  the  goodness 
and  forojiveness  of  God.  At  the  close  of  his  last 
lecture,  one  hundred  and  twenty  persons  volun- 
tarily arose  for  prayers ;   a  goodly  number  were 


TESTIMONY    OF    KELIGIOUS    PAPERS.  179 

soon  rejoicing  in  the  Saviour,  and  a  glorious  re- 
sult followed. 

"  On  the  10th  of  January,  1843,  Mr.  M.  began 
a  course  of  lectures  in  the  Presbyterian  church 
in  Utica,  K.  Y.,  where  an  interest  was  elicited 
which  extended  to  surrounding  places.  Invita- 
tions were  received  from  many  of  the  neighbor- 
ing towns,  which  could  not  be  complied  with. 
The  meetings  closed  on  the  17th,  when  forty  or 
fifty  were  inquiring  what  they  should  do  to  be 
saved.  A  good  work  had  been  commenced, 
which  continued  for  several  weeks.  The  Method- 
ist Reformer,  published  in  that  city,  announced 
that  '  many  thoughtless  sinners  and  cold  profess- 
ors were  stirred  up  to  duty  by  them ; '  and  the 
Baptist  Register  said,  '  Mr.  Miller's  appeals  were 
often  very  pungent,  and  made  a  very  deej*  im- 
pression on  the  audience,  and  many  came  for- 
ward for  prayer.' 

"From  the  21st  to  the  29th  of  January,  1843, 
Mr.  Miller  lectured  in  Bennington,  Vt.  He  then 
went  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  lectured  in  the 
large  hall  of  the  Chinese  Museum,  which  was 
crowded  to  excess,  from  the  3d  to  the  10th  of 
February.  On  the  evening  of  the  7th,  a  gentle- 
man arose  and  confessed  that  he  had  been  an  in- 
fidel, but  could  now  praise  God  for  what  he  had 
done  for  his  soul.  Many  others  followed,  bearing 
testimony  to  God's  pardoning  mercy. 

"  The  interest  attending  the  lectures  continued 
to  increase  from  the  first  till  the  evening^  before 
their  close.  On  that  eveninfj  the  house  was 
filled  to  overflowing  at  an  early  hour.  When 
the  lecture  commenced,  the  crowd  and  confusion 
were  so  great  as  to  render  it  almost  impossible 
to  hear  the  speaker ;   and  it  was  thought  best. 


180  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

after  notifying  the  people  what  was  to  be  done, 
and  giving  an  opportunity  for  all  who  wished  so 
to  do  to  go  out,  to  close  the  doors,  and  thus  se- 
cure silence.  This  was  done,  and  the  speaker 
proceeded  to  his  subject.  For  about  half  an 
hour  there  was  profound  silence,  and  deep  inter- 
est was  evinced  by  the  immense  audience,  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  unrul}^  boys.  This  would 
have  undoubtedly  continued  had  it  not  been  for 
the  circumstance  of  a  lady's  fainting,  and  it  be- 
coming necessary  to  open  the  doors  for  her  to  go 
out.  When  the  door  was  opened,  there  was  a 
rush  of  persons  who  stood  outside  for  admittance. 
As  soon  as  this  was  done,  and  a  few  had  come 
into  the  room,  an  unruly  boy  raised  the  cry  of 
'fire,'  which  threw  the  whole  assembly  into 'con- 
fusion, some  crying  one  thing,  and  some  another. 
There  did  not  appear  to  be  any  disposition  on 
the  part  of  the  multitude  to  disturb  the  meeting; 
but  all  came  from  the  rush  and  cry.  The  disor- 
der arose  more  from  the  excited  fears  of  the  peo- 
ple than  from  any  other  cause.  Order  was 
again  restored,  and  the  speaker  proceeded  for  a 
few  moments,  when  another  rush  was  made,  and 
the  excitement  became  so  great  within  as  to  ren- 
der it  expedient  to  dismiss  the  meeting. 

"The  police  of  the  city  were  willing  to  do 
what  they  could,  but  there  was  nothing  for  them 
to  do;  for  they  could  not  govern  the  excited 
nerves  of  the  audience. 

"  On  Friday  morning  the  multitude  were  again 
assembled  at  an  early  hour  for  service,  and  Mr. 
Miller  proceeded  to  answer  numerous  questions 
which  liad  been  proposed.  A  most  profound  at- 
tention was  manifested  until  the  meeting  was 
about   half    through,   when   a   man    arose   and 


FALSE    KEPOKTS.  181 

wished  to  propose  some  questions,  which  inter- 
rupted the  order  of  the  meeting. 

"The  owners  became  alarmed  for  the  safety 
of  the  hall,  and  ordered  the  meetings  to  be  closed 
after  the  afternoon  service.  Although  this  fact 
was  unknown  except  by  a  few  persons,  yet  the 
room  was  literally  packed  with  a  mass  of  living 
beings,  who  listened  with  breathless  silence  to 
Mr.  Miller's  last  lecture. 

"  There  had  been  no  intimation  given  throughout 
of  what  had  transpired  to  close  the  meetings,  until 
he  came  to  bid  them  farewell.  There  were  then 
bitter  tears  and  strong  sighs.  The  announce- 
ment of  the  fact  came  unexpectedly.  The  appeal 
was  melting  beyond  expression.  Probably  more 
than  a  thousand  persons  arose  to  testify  their 
faith  in  the  truth  of  the  advent  near,  and  three 
or  four  hundred  of  the  unconverted  arose  to  re- 
quest an  interest  in  his  prayers.  Mr.  Miller 
closed  the  services  by  a  most  feeling  and  appro- 
priate prayer  and  benediction.  No  blame  was 
attached  to  the  owners  of  the  Museum  for  their 
course. 

"About  this  time  it  was  announced,  by  a  cor- 
respondent of  Bennett's  K.  Y.  Herald,  that  Mr. 
Miller  had  fixed  on  the  3d  of  April  for  the  ad- 
vent. This  being  industriously  circulated,  led 
Prof.  Moses  Stuart  to  say  of  '  the  men  of  April 
3,  1843,"  '  I  would  respectfully  suggest,  that  in 
some  way  or  other  they  have,  in  all  probability, 
made  a  small  mistake  as  to  the  exact  day  of  the 
month  when  the  grand  catastrophe  takes  place, 
the  1st  of  April  being  evidently  much  more  ap- 
propriate to  their  arrangements  than  any  other 
day  in  the  year." — Hints,  2d  ed.,  p.  173.  The 
Kevj    York   Observer,  of  February  11,  1843,  in 


182  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

eoinuient'inoj  on  this  yuirixestion  of  Prof.  Stuart, 
thought  it  sufficient  '  to  quiet  every  feeling  of 
alarm  !'  As  remarks  Hke  these,  and  other  equally- 
foolish  stories  which  are  referred  to  in  the  follow- 
ing letter,  met  the  eye  of  Mr.  Miller,  he  thus  de- 
nies them  through  the  columns  of  the  Signs  of 
the  Times : — 

" '  Dear  Brother  Himes  : — At  the  request  of 
numerous  friends,  I  herein  transmit  to  them, 
through  you,  a  brief  statement  of  facts,  relative 
to  the  many  stories  with  which  the  public  are 
humbugged,  concerning  the  principles  I  advocate, 
and  the  management  of  my  woi'ldly  concerns. 

"  My  principles,  in  brief,  are,  that  Jesus  Christ 
will  come  again  to  this  earth,  cleanse,  purify,  and 
take  possession  of  the  same,  with  all  his  saints, 
some  time  between  March  21,  1843,  and  March 
21,  1844.  I  liave  never,  for  the  space  of  more 
than  twenty-three  years,  had  any  other  time 
jpreached  or puhUshed  hy  me;  I  have  never  fixed 
on  any  month,  day,  or  hour,  during  that  period ; 
I  have  never  found  any  mistake  in  reckoning, 
summing  up  or  miscalculation ;  I  have  made 
no  provision  for  any  other  time ;  I  am  perfectly 
satisfied  that  the  Bible  is  true,  and  is  tlie  word 
of  God,  and  I  am  confident  that  I  rely  wholly  on 
the  blessed  book  for  my  faith  in  this  matter. 
I  am  not  a  prophet.  I  am  not  sent  to  prophesy, 
but  to  read,  believe,  and  publish  what  God  has 
inspired  the  ancient  prophets  to  administer  to 
us,  in  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments. These  have  been,  and  now  are,  my  prin- 
ciples, and  I  hope  I  shall  never  be  ashamed  of 
them. 

•'"As  to  worldly  cares,  I  have  had  but  very 


EVIL    REPORTS    AXSWERED.  183 

few  for  twelve  years  past.  I  have  a  wife  and 
eight  children ;  I  have  great  reason  to  believe 
they  all  are  the  children  of  God,  and  believers  in 
the  same  doctrine  with  myself.  I  own  a  small 
farm  in  Low  Hamj)ton,  N.  Y. ;  my  family  support 
themselves  upon  it,  and  I  believe  they  are  es- 
teemed frugal,  temperate,  and  industrious.  They 
use  hospitality  without  grudging,  and  never  turn 
a  pilgrim  from  the  house,  nor  the  needy  from  the 
door.  I  bless  God  that  my  family  are  benevo- 
lent and  kind  to  all  men  who  need  their  sympa- 
thy or  aid ;  I  have  no  cares  to  manage,  except 
my  own  individual  wants ;  I  have  no  funds  or 
debts  due  me  of  any  amount ;  "  I  owe  no  man 
anything;"  and  I  have  expended  more  than  two 
thousand  dollars  of  my  property  in  twelve  years, 
besides  what  God  has  given  me  through  the  dear 
friends,  in  this  cause. 

" '  Yours  respectfully,        William  Miller, 

'" Phlkukljjhia,  Feb.  4,  ISJf.',.' 

"  The  almost  unparalleled  abuse  to  which  Mr. 
Miller  was  subject,  through  most  of  the  secular 
and  some  of  the  religious  papers,  during  this 
period,  called  forth  the  following  manly  rebuke 
from  the  Sanely  Hill  Herald,  a  paper  published 
in  Mr.  Miller's  own  county : — 

"'FATHER   MILLER. 

"' '  While  we  are  not  prepai'ed  to  subscribe  to 
the  doctrine  promulgated  by  this  gentleman,  we 
have  been  sur}»rised  at  the  means  made  use  of  by 
its  opponents  to  put  it  down.  Certainly  all  who 
have  ever  heard  him  lecture,  or  have  read  his 
works,  must  acknowledge  that  he  is  a  sound  rea- 


184  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

soner,  and,  as  such,  is  entitled  to  fair  arguments 
from  those  who  differ  with  him.  Yet  his  oppo- 
nents do  not  see  fit  to  exert  their  reasoning  pow- 
ers, but  content  themselves  by  denouncing  the 
old  gentlemen  as  a  "  fanatic,"  a  "  liar,"  "  deluded 
old  fool,"  "  speculator,"  &c.,  &c.  Mr.  Miller  is  now, 
and  has  been  for  many  years,  a  resident  of  this 
county,  and  as  a  citizen,  a  man,  and  a  Christian, 
stands  high  in  the  estimation  of  all  who  know 
him ;  and  we  have  been  pained  to  hear  the  gray- 
headed,  trembling  old  man  denounced  as  a  "  spec- 
ulating knave." 

" '  Speculating,  forsooth  !  Why  need  he  spec- 
ulate ?  He  has  enough  of  the  good  things  of  this 
world  to  last  him  through  the  few  days  which  at 
longest  may  be  his  on  earth,  without  traveling 
from  city  to  city,  from  town  to  village,  laboring 
night  and  day  like  a  galley-slave,  to  add  to  a  store 
which  is  already  abundant.  Who  that  has  wit- 
nessed his  earnestness  in  the  pulpit,  and  listened 
to  the  uncultivated  eloquence  of  nature,  which 
falls  in  such  rich  profusion  from  his  lips,  dare  say 
that  he  is  an  impostor?  We  answer,  without 
fear  of  contradiction  from  any  candid  mind,  None  ! 
We  are  not  prepared  to  say  how  far  the  old  man 
may  be  from  correct,  but  one  thing,  we  doubt  not 
that  he  is  sincere ;  and  we  do  hope  that  some  one 
of  his  many  opponents  will  take  the  pains  to  in- 
vestigate the  subject,  and,  if  it  be  in  their  power, 
drive  the  old  man  from  his  position.  It  is  cer- 
tainly a  subject  worthy  of  investigation,  and  one 
fraught  with  momentous  consequences ;  and  no 
matter  who  the  individual  is  that  promulgates 
the  doctrine,  if  he  offers  good  reasons  and  sound 
arguments,  drawn  from  the  word  of  God  and  from 
history,  we  say  he  is  entitled  to  his  position  until, 


SCOFFERS    EEPROVED.  185 

by  the  same  means,  lie  is  driven  from  it.  ]\[r. 
Miller  certainly  goes  to  the  fountain  of  knowl- 
edge, revelation,  and  histor}^,  for  proof,  and  should 
not  be  answered  with  low,  vulgar,  and  blasphe- 
mous witticisms.' 

"  We  like  the  following  remarks,  copied  from 
an  exchange,  in  relation  to  this  subject: — 

" '  MiLLERiSM. — This  is  the  term  by  which  the 
opinions  of  those  who  oppose  the  idea  of  a  mil- 
lennium, and  maintain  that  the  end  of  the  world 
will  take  place  in  1843,  are  distinguished;  and 
they  are  thus  denominated  because  Mr.  Miller 
first  propagated  it. 

" '  We  certainly  are  not  a  convert  to  the  the- 
ory ;  but  we  feel  bound  in  duty  to  lift  our  voice 
in  reproof  of,  and  enter  our  protest  against,  the 
infidel  scurrility  and  blasphemous  witticisms 
with  which  some  of  our  exchanges  abound,  and 
from  which  religious  periodicals  are  not  wholly 
exempt. 

" '  If  Mr.  Miller  is  in  error,  it  is  possible  to 
prove  him  so,  but  not  by  vulgar  and  blasphe- 
mous witticisms  and  ribaldry ;  these  are  not  argu- 
ments. And  to  treat  a  subject  of  such  over- 
whelming majesty,  and  fearful  consequences — a 
subject  which  has  been  made  the  theme  of 
prophecy  in  both  Testaments  ;  the  truth  of  which, 
occur  when  it  will,  God  has  sealed  by  his  own 
unequivocal  averments — we  repeat  it,  to  make 
puns  and  display  vulgar  wit  upon  this  subject,  is 
not  merely  to  sport  with  the  feelings  of  its  prop- 
agators and  advocates,  but  is  to  make  a  jest 
of  the  day  of  Judgment,  to  scofi"  at  the  Deity 
himself,  and  contemn  the  terrors  of  his  judgment 
bar.' 


186  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"The  Pittsburg  (Pa.)  Gazette,  also  said  :— 

"  '  We  do  not  concur  with  Mr.  Miller  iu  his  in- 
terpretations of  the  prophecies  ;  but  we  can  see 
neither  reason  nor  Christianity  in  the  unmerited 
reproach  which  is  heaped  upon  him  for  propaga- 
ting an  honest  opinion.  And  that  he  is  honest 
we  have  no  doubt.  True,  we  think  him  in  error, 
but  believe  he  is  honestly  so.  And  suppose  he 
does  err  in  his  vijws  of  prophecy,  does  that  make 
him  either  a  knave  or  a  fool  ?  Have  not  some 
of  the  greatest  or  best  men  who  have  lived  since 
the  days  of  the  apostles  erred  in  the  same  way  ? 
And  who  will  say  that  all  these,  including  Whit- 
by, Bishop  Newton,  and  others  of  equal  celebri- 
ty, were  monomaniacs,  and  driven  by  a  pitiable 
or  culpable  frenzy  to  the  adoption  of  their  opin- 
ions ?  The  truth  is,  as  we  apprehend,  that  many 
of  those  who  are  so  indecorous  and  vituperative 
in  their  denunciations  of  Miller,  are  in  fearful 
trepidation,  lest  the  day  being  so  near  at  hand, 
should  overtake  them  unawares,  and  hence,  like 
cowardly  boys  in  the  dark,  they  make  a  great 
noise  by  way  of  keeping  up  their  courage,  and 
to  frighten  away  the  bugbears.' 

"  The  editor  of  the  Countryman,  in  giving  the 
synopsis  of  Mr.  Miller's  views,  added : — 

" '  The  abstract  of  Miller's  views,  which  we 
give  on  our  fourth  page,  so  far  as  we  give  it  in 
this  paper,  is  and  has  been,  according  to  what  we 
have  been  able  to  ascertain,  the  professed  belief 
of  orthodox  Christians,  from  the  day  of  Christ's 
ascension  into  Heaven  until  the  present  hour. 
Therefore  they  are  not  merely  Mr.  Miller's  views, 
but  the  acknowledged  views  of  the  Christian 
church,  the  received  Bible  doctrine ;  and  if  Bible 
doctrine,  then  are  they  the  truth. 


A  SOLEMN'  AND  TIMELY  APPEAL.        187 

" '  One  of  tlic  apostles,  who  shared  as  largely 
in  the  confidence  and  personal  instruction  of  his 
Master  as  any,  concludes  a  reference  to  this  sub- 
ject in  these  words  :  "  Wherefore,  beloved,  seeing 
that  ye  look  for  such  things,  be  diligent,  that  ye 
may  be  found  of  him  in  peace,  without  spot  and 
blameless."  2  Pet.  3  :  14.  If  the  things  here 
refe  rred  to  have  not  taken  place — and  who  will 
say  they  have  ? — they,  of  course,  are  yet  to  tran- 
spire. If  so,  is  not  the  caution  of  the  apostle  as 
important  in  this  our  day  as  it  was  when  he  ut- 
tered it  ?  And  if  it  was  an  event  to  be  looked 
for  and  hoped  for  then,  should  it  be  an  object  of 
less  solicitude  now  1  Every  intelligent,  free  mor- 
al agent  upon  earth,  whether  aware  of  it  or  not, 
has  an  interest  in  this  issue.  He  may  absorb  his 
mind  in  other  matters,  he  may  drown  reflection 
in  the  whirl  of  business  or  pleasure,  he  may 
wrap  his  soul  in  projects  of  wealth  or  ambition, 
and  fill  his  aspiring  eye  with  the  anticipated 
f^lories  of  some  dazzlinsj  hisfht,  but  his  interest 
still  cleaves  to  the  immortality  of  his  nature, 
and,  sooner  or  later,  he  must  discover  that  it  is 
the  most  important  interest  ever  presented  to  his 
consideration,  or  that  is  attached  to  his  being  or 
his  destiny.  Is  it  not,  then,  the  hight  of  wisdom 
to  give  heed  to  these  things,  and  examine  them 
with  all  that  diligence  and  dispassionate  atten- 
tion their  importance  merits  ?' 


188  •  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MR.  MILLER  AND  HIS  REVIEWERS — DOCTORS  DOWLING, 
CHASE,  JARVIS,  ETC. — THE  FOURTH  KINGDOM — THE  LIT- 
TLE HORN — PROPHETIC  NUMBERS — SEVENTY  WEEKS — 
COMING  OF  CHRIST,   ETC. 

"  As  it  will  be  proper  to  take  some  notice  of 
the  controversy  between  Mr.  Miller  and  those 
who  entered  the  lists  against  him,  it  may  as  well 
be  referred  to  in  this  connection.  As  his  views 
gained  adherents,  various  publications  of  sermons, 
reviews,  ko.,  were  issued  from  the  press — the  de- 
sign of  which  was  to  counteract  his  expositions 
of  prophecy.  Some  of  these  were  direct  attacks 
on  him,  and  others  only  indirect,  by  opposing  the 
long- established  principles  of  Protestant  inter- 
pretation. The  controversy  had  respect  princi- 
pally to  the  following  points  : — 

"  1.  The  Fourth  Kingdom  of  Daniel,  7th  chap- 
ter. 

"  2.  The  Little  Horn  of  the  sam.e. 

"  3.  The  Little  Horn  of  the  8th. 

"4.  The  Length  of  the  Prophetic  Periods. 

"  5.  The  Commencement  of  the  Seventy  Weeks 
of  Dan.  9. 

"6.  Their  Connection  with  the  2300  days  of 
Dan.  8. 

"  7.  The  Rise  of  the  Little  Horn  of  the  7th. 

"  8.  The  Nature  of  Christ's  Second  Advent. 

"9.  The  Return  of  the  Jews. 

"  10.  The  Epoch  of  the  Resurrection. 

"  Mr.  Miller  laid  no  claim  to  originaliiy  in  his 
position  respecting  any  of  the  above  points ;  but 
maintained  that  they  were  established  opinions 


MILLER   AND   HIS   REVIEWERS.  189 

of  the  church,  and,  being  so,  that  his  conclusions 
from  such  premises  were  well  sustained  by  hu- 
man as  well  as  by  divine  teachings.  While  his 
opponents  attacked  the  view  he  took  of  these 
points,  no  one  of  them  assailed  the  whole ;  but 
each  admitted  his  correctness  on  some  of  the 
points;  and,  among  them,  the  whole  were  ad- 
mitted. 

"  1.  The  Fourth  Kingdom  of  Daniel.  This  he 
claimed  to  be  the  Roman.  In  this,  he  had  the 
support  of  the  ablest  and  most  judicious  exposi- 
tors of  every  age.  William  Cunninghame,  Esq., 
of  England,  an  eminent  expositor,  in  speaking  of 
the  four  parts  of  the  great  image  of  the  dream  of 
Nebuchadnezzar,  says  that  they  are  '  respective- 
ly applied  by  Daniel  himself  to  four  Jcingdoms, 
ivliich  have,  by  the  unanimous  voice  of  the  Jew- 
ish and  Christian  churches,  for  more  than  eight- 
een centuries,  been  identified  with  the  empires 
of  Babylon,  Persia,  Greece,  and  Rome.'  Should 
this  be  questioned,  the  witnesses  are  abundant. 
In  the  Jewish  church,  we  have  the  Targum  of 
Jonathan  Ben  Uzziel,  Josephus,  and  the  whole 
modern  synagogue,  including  the  names  of  Abar- 
banal,  Kimchi,  David,  Levi,  and  others.  In  the 
Christian  church,  svich  as  Barnabas,  Iren?eus, 
Chrysostom,  Cyril  of  Jerusalem  in  his  catechism, 
Jerome,  and  according  to  him,  all  ecclesiastical 
writers,  Hyppolitus  and  Lactantius  in  the  early 
ages ;  since  the  Reformation,  Luther,  Calvin, 
Mede,  T.  H.  Home,*  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Bishop 
Newton,  Dr.  Hales,  Scott,  Clarke,  Brown,-f-  Wat- 
son,:j:  Bishop  Lloyd,  Daubuz,  Brightman,  Faber, 

*See  Introduction,  vol.  1,  p.  833;  vol.  4,  pp.  180,  101. 
+  See  Harmony  of  Scripture.  X  Theol.  Die,  p.  228. 


190  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

Noel,  Dr.  Hopkins,  and  almost  every  biblical  ex- 
positor of  any  note  in  the  Protestant  church. 
Those  who  make  this  application  of  the  four  parts 
of  the  image  have  no  difficulty  in  making  a  like 
application  of  the  four  beasts  of  Daniel  seventh. 
The  remarkable  similarity  of  the  two  visions  re- 
quires this. 

"  This  long- established  opinion  was  controvert- 
ed by  Prof  Stuart  of  Andover,  in  his  '  Hints,'  be- 
fore referred  to.  He  said  :  '  The  fourth  beast  in 
Dan.  7 : 6,  &c.,  is,  beyond  all  reasonable  doubt, 
the  divided  Grecian  dominion,  which  succeeded 
the  reign  of  Alexander  the  Great.' — Hints,  p.  86. 

"  Prof  Irah  Chase,  D.  D.,  said :  '  The  fourth 
empire  waa  that  of  the  successors  of  Alexander, 
among  whom  Seleucus  was  pre-eminent.' — Me- 
marhs  on  the  Booh  of  Daniel,  p.  20. 

"  Others,  of  lesser  note,  copied  from  these,  and 
took  a  similar  position  respecting  the  fourth 
kingdom. 

"Of  those  who  opposed  Mr.  Miller  on  other  points, 
John  Dowling,  D.D.,  of  New  York  city,  in  his  '  Ex- 
position of  the  Prophecies,'  did  not  assail  this. 

"  Rev.  W.  T.  Hamilton,  D.  D.,  of  Mobile,  Ala., 
in  his  '  Lecture  on  Millerism,'  said  :  '  I  freely  ad- 
mit, that  in  his  general  outline  of  interpretation 
(excluding  his  dates),  following,  as  he  does,  much 
abler  men  who  have  gone  before  him,  Mr.  Mil- 
ler is  correct.  The  several  dynasties  prefigured 
in  the  great  metallic  image  of  Nebuchadnezzar — 
in  the  vision  of  the  four  beasts,  and  of  the  ram 
and  he-goat — Daniel  himself  points  out.  Mis- 
take there  is  not  easy." — p.  18. 

"  Dr.  Jarvis,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  of  Middletown,  Ct., 
in  his  '  Two  Discourses  on  Prophecy,'  also  ap- 
plies the  fourth  beast  in  the  same  manner. — p.  42. 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWEKS.  191 

"J.  T.  Hinton,  A.  M.,  of  St.  Louis  ('  Prophecies 
Illustrated  '),  said  :  '  The  dream  of  the  image,  the 
vision  of  the  four  beasts,  that  of  the  ram  and  he- 
goat,  and  the  "  Scriptures  of  truth,"  give  us  four 
detailed  descriptions  of  the  history  of  the  world, 
from  the  time  of  Daniel  to  the  "  time  of  the  end  ;" 
and  the  Apocalyptic  visions  refer  to  the  same 
period  as  the  latter  portion  of  the  prophecies  of 
Daniel.' — p.  25.  '  The  dream  of  the  image  is  of 
the  greatest  importance ;  it  leaves  wifJtout  excuse 
those  who  would  reduce  the  remaining  prophecies 
of  Daniel  to  the  narrow  compass  of  the  little 
acts  of  the  reign  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 
Nothing  can  be  clearer  than  that  the  gold,  the 
silver,  the  brass,  the  iron,  and  the  clay,  are  de- 
signed to  cover  the  history  of  the  world  in  all  its 
successive  ages," — p.  27. 

"  Again  he  says  :  '  We  think  our  readers  will 
concur  with  us,  and  with  the  great  mass  of  wri- 
ters on  prophecy,  that  the  "  ten  horns  "  or  Dan- 
iel's "  fourth  beast,"  and  "  the  beast  rising  out  of 
the  sea,  having  seven  heads,"  of  the  Apoca- 
lyptic visions,  refer  to  the  ten  kingdoms  into 
which  the  Roman  Empire  was  divided.  Of  the 
identity  of  the  ten-horned  beasts  of  Daniel  and 
John  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt." — p. 
232. 

"  2,  The  Little  Horn  of  the  seventh  chapter  of 
Daniel.  This  he  held  to  be  the  papacy.  This 
was  no  novel  view  of  that  symbol,  being,  as  it 
was,  the  view  of  the  whole  Protestant  world. 
See  Dr.  Clarke's  Notes  on  2  Thess.  2 ;  Croly  on 
the  Apoc,  pp.  113-117,  Home's  Int.,  vol.  4,  p. 
191,  Watson's  Theol.  Die,  p.  G2,  G.  T.  Noel,  Pros- 
]>ects  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  p.  100,  William 
Cunninghame,  Esq.,  Political  Dest.  of  the  Earth, 


192  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

p.  28,  Mede,  Newton,  Scott,  Daiibuz,  Hurd, 
Jurieu,  Vitringa,  Fleming,  Lowman,  and  numer- 
ous others  of  the  best  standard  expositors. 

"Prof.  Stuart,  Prof.  Chase,  and  others  who  ap- 
plied the  '  fourth  beast '  to  the  four  divisions  of 
Alexander's  successors,  applied  the  little  horn  of 
the  same  chapter  to  Antiochus  Epiphanes. 

"  Mr.  Hinton  took  the  same  view  that  Mr.  Mil- 
ler did  of  this  symbol.  He  said  :  '  If  any  other 
events  of  history  can  be  set  forth  and  made  to 
fill  out  all  the  ijarticulars  mentioned  by  Daniel 
and  John,  we  should  be  happy  to  see  them  stated; 
till  then,  we  shall  believe  the  little  horn  rising 
up  amidst  the  ten  horns,  and  having  three  of 
them  plucked  up  before  it,  to  refer  to  the  rise  of 
the  papacy  in  the  midst  of  the  kingdoms  into 
which  the  Roman  Empire  was  divided  in  the  sixth 
century." — p.  237. 

"  Dr.  Dowling,  Dr.  Hamilton,  and  others,  who 
admitted  that  the  fourth  beast  symbolized  the 
Roman  Empire,  also  applied  its  little  horn  to  the 
papacy. 

"  3.  The  Little  Horn  of  the  eighth  chapter  of 
Daniel,  that  became  exceeding  great.  This  Mr. 
Miller  believed  to  be  a  symbol  of  Rome.  In  this 
view  he  was  sustained  by  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
Bishop  Newton,  Dr.  Hales,  Martin  Luther,  Dr. 
Prideaux,  Dr.  Clarke,  Dr.  Hopkins,  Wm.  Cunning- 
hame,  and  others. 

"Dr.  Home  said  of  the  first  three  above  named  : 
'  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Bishop  Newton,  and  Dr. 
Hales,  have  clearly  shown  that  the  Roman  power, 
and  no  other,  is  intended ;  for,  although  some  of 
the  particulars  may  agree  very  well  with  that 
king  (Antiochus),  yet  others  can  by  no  means  be 
reconciled  to  him ;  wJdle  all  of  tliein  agree  and 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWEES,  193 

correspond  exactly  ivith  the  Romans,  and  vAth 
no  other  power." — Intro.,  vol.  4,  p.  191. 

"  In  addition  to  these,  almost  all  the  old  writers 
who  applied  it  to  Antiochus  Epiphanes  did  so 
only  as  the  type  of  Rome,  where  they  looked  for 
the  Antichrist.  St.  Cyril,  Bishop  of  Jerusalem, 
in  the  fourth  century,  said  :  '  This,  the  predicted 
Antichrist,  will  come  when  the  times  of  the  (pa- 
gan) Roman  Empire  shall  be  fulfilled,  and  the 
consummation  of  the  world  approach.  Ten  kings 
of  the  Romans  shall  rise  together,  in  different 
places  indeed,  but  they  shall  reign  at  the  same 
time.  Among  these,  the  eleventh  is  Antichrist, 
who,  by  magical  and  wicked  artifices,  shall  seize 
the  Roman  power.' 

"  Prof.  Stuart,  Prof  Chase,  and  even  Dr.  Bowl- 
ing, with  others,  applied  this  symbol  to  Antiochus 
Epiphanes. 

"  Rev.  R.  C.  Shimeal,  of  New  York  ("  Proph- 
ecy in  Course  of  Fulfillment  "),  dissented  from 
Mr.  Miller,  and  also  from  the  foregoing,  and  un- 
derstood this  horn  to  symbolize  the  Mahomme- 
dan  power.     Mr,  Hinton  took  the  same  view. 

"  Mr.  Miller  was  sustained  in  his  application  of 
this  point  by  Dr.  Hamilton  and  Dr.  Jarvis.  The 
lattei-  said  :  '  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  with  that  sagacity 
which  was  peculiar  to  him,  was  the  first,  I  be- 
lieve, who  showed  clearly  that  this  little  horn 
was  the  Roman  power,' — p.  43. 

"  4.  The  Length  of  the  Prophetic  Numbers.  In 
explaining  these,  Mr,  Miller  adopted  the  Protest- 
ant view,  that  they  represent  years.  There  is 
probably  no  point  respecting  which  Protestant 
comm.entators  have  been  more  agreed  than  this. 
Faber,  Prideaux,  Mede,   Clarke,  Scott,  the  two 

Miller.  13 


194  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

Newtons,  Wesley,  and  almost  every  expositor  of 
note,  have  considered  this  a  settled  question.  In- 
deed, so  universal  has  been  this  interpretation  of 
these  periods  that  Professor  Stuart  says  :  '  It  is 

A  SINGULAR  FACT  THAT  THE  GREAT  MASS  OF  IN- 
TERPRETERS in  the  English  and  American  world 
have,  for  many  years,  been  v/ont  to  understand 
the  days  designated  in  Daniel  and  the  Apocalypse 
as  the  representatives  or  syr.ibols  of  years.  I 
found  it  difficult  to  trace  the  origin  of  this  gen- 
eral, /  might  say  almost  universal,  custom.' 
— Hints,  p.  77. 

"  He  also  says  :  '  For  a  long  time  these  princi- 
ples have  been  so  current  among  the  expositors 
of  the  English  and  American  world,  that  scarcely 
a  serious  attempt  to  vindicate  them  has  of  late 
been  made.  They  have  been  regarded  as  so  plain 
and  so  well  fortijied  against  all  objections,  that 
most  expositors  have  deemed  it  quite  useless  even 
to  attempt  to  defend  them.  One  might,  indeed, 
almost  compare  the  ready  and  unwavering  as- 
sumption of  these  propositions,  to  the  assumption 
of  the  first  self-evident  axioms  in  the  science  of 
geometry,  v/hich  not  only  may  dispense  with  any 
process  of  ratiocination  in  their  defense,  but 
which  do  not  even  admit  of  any.' — Hints,  p.  8. 

"Prof  Stuart,  however,  dissented  from  this 
'  almost  universal  custom,'  and  claimed  that  the 
prophetic  days— the  1260,  1290,  1335,  and  2300 
— indicated  only  days.  Of  the  1260  he  said : 
'  The  very  manner  of  the  expression  indicates,  of 
course,  that  it  was  not  the  design  of  the  speaker 
or  writer  to  be  exact  to  a  day  or  an  hour.  A  lit- 
tle more  or  a  little  less  than  three  and  a  half 
years  would,  as  every  reasonable  interpreter 
must  acknowledge,  accord  perfectly  well  with  the 


MILLER   AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  195 

general  designation  here,  where  plainly  the  aim 
is  not  statistical  exactness,  but  a  mere  generalizing 
of  the  period  in  question.' — Hints,  p.  73. 

"Again  he  says:  ' A  statistical  exactness  can- 
not be  aimed  at  in  cases  of  this  nature.  Any 
near  approximation  to  tlie  measure  of  time  in 
question  would,  of  course,  be  regarded  as  a  suffi- 
cient reason  for  setting  it  down  under  the  general 
rubric' 

"'By  the  1260  days,'  he  said,  'no  more  than 
three  and  a  half  years  literally  can  possibly  be 
meant '  (p.  75) ;  and  of  the  2300  :  '  We  must  con- 
sider these  2300  evening-mornings  as  an  expres- 
sion of  simple  time,  i.  e.,  of  so  many  days,  reck- 
oned in  the  Hebrew  manner.' — p.  100. 

"  Prof  C.  E.  Stowe,  D.  D.,  of  Andover  Mass., 
in  his  '  Millennial  Arithmetic,'  claimed  that  '  day 
does  not  mean  year  in  the  prophecies  any  more 
than  elsewhere  ;'  and  that  '  a  definite  designation 
of  time  was  not  here  intended,  but  only  a  general 
expression.' — p.  13. 

"  Prof  Chase  agreed  with  Prof  Stuart  respect- 
ing the  12G0  days;  but  said  of  the  2300:  'The 
period  predicted  is  not  two  thousand  and  three 
hundred  days  but  only  Aa/f  that  number — 1150.' 
— Remarks,  p.  60. 

"  Dr  Dowling  aoreed  with  Prof  Chase  that 
the  2300  were  ha.lf  days ;  but  differed  both  from 
him  and  Prof  Stuart  respecting  the  12G0,  of 
which  he  says  :  '  I  believe,  as  Mr.  Miller  does, 
and  indeed  most  Protestant  commentators,  that 
the  1260  years  denote  the  duration  of  the  domin- 
ion of  the  papal  Antichrist.  After  comparing 
these  passages,  and  the  entire  prophecies  to 
which  they  belong,  with  the  history  and  charac- 
ter of  papacy,  I  cannot  doubt  that   this  is   the 


196  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

mystical  Babylon,  whose  name  is  written  in  Rev. 
17  :  5 ;  and  that,  when  the  12G0   years  are  ac- • 
complished,  then  shall  that  great  city,  Babylon, 
be  thrown  down,  and  shall  be  found  no  more  at 
all' — Reply  to  Miller,  p.  27. 

"  Prof.  Pond,  D.  D.  (of  Bangor,  Me.),  in  his  '  Re- 
view of  Second  Advent  Publications,'  was  in 
doubt  whether  the  periods  of  Daniel  could  be 
proved  to  be  years ;  but  was  willing  to  cut  the 
matter  short  by  conceding  the  point  that  it  may 
be  so. — p.  22. 

"  Dr.  Jarvis,  Mr.  Hinton,  Mr.  Shimeal,  and  Prof. 
Bush,  sustained  Mr.  Miller  respecting  the  signifi- 
cance of  the  prophetic  days. 

"In  speaking  of  the  application  of  the  2800 
days  to  the  time  of  the  persecution  of  Antiochus 
Epiphanes,  Dr.  Jarvis  says  :  'This  interpretation 
would,  of  course,  be  fatal  to  all  Mr.  Miller's  cal- 
culations. It  is  not  surprising,  therefore,  that 
it  should  be  eagerly  embraced  by  many  of  his  op- 
ponents. But,  with  all  due  deference,  I  think 
there  are  insuperable  difficulties  in  the  way  of 
this  scheme,  which  makes  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
the  little  horn.'  '  I  make  no  difficulty,  therefore, 
in  admitting  the  evening-morning  to  mean  a  pro- 
phetic day.' — Sermons,  p.  4G.  He  further  says 
that  Daniel  was  told  to  shut  up  the  vision,  '  be- 
cause the  fulfillment  of  it  should  be  so  far  distant ; 
a  strong  collateral  argument,  as  I  understand  it, 
for  the  interpretation  of  2300  prophetic  days.' 
—lb.,  p.  47.  And  '  The  vision  is  the  whole  vis- 
ion of  the  ram  and  he-goat.' — p.  45. 

"  Prof.  Bush,  in  writing  to  Mr.  Miller,  said  : 
'1  do  not  conceive  your  errors  on  the  subject  of 
chronology  to  be  at  all  of  a  serious  nature,  or  in 
fact  to  be  very  ivide  of  the  truth.     In  taking  a 


MILLER   AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  197 

day  as  the  prophetical  time  for  a  year,  I  believe 
you  are  sustained  by  the  soundest  exegesis,  as 
well  as  fortified  by  the  high  names  of  Mede,  Sir 
Isaac  Newton,  Bishop  Newton,  Faber,  Scott, 
Keith,  and  a  host  of  others,  who  have  long  since 
come  to  substantially  your  conclusions  on  this 
head.  They  all  agree  that  the  leading  periods 
mentioned  by  Daniel  and  John  do  actually  ex- 
pire about  this  age  of  the  ivorld  ;  and  it  would  be 
strange  logic  that  would  convict  you  of  heresy 
for  holding  in  effect  the  same  views  which  stand 
forth  so  prominently  in  the  notices  of  these  emi- 
nent divines.'  '  Your  results  in  this  field  of  in- 
quiry do  not  strike  me  as  so  far  out  of  the  way 
as  to  affect  any  of  the  great  interests  of  truth  or 
duty.'— ^d  Her. ,  vol.V,  p.  38. 

"  Writing  to  Prof  Stuart,  Prof  Bush  said  :  '  I 
am  not  inclined  precipitately  to  discard  an  opin- 
ion long  iirevalent  in  the  church,  which  has  com- 
mended itself  to  those  whose  judgments  are  enti- 
tled to  profound  respect.  That  such  is  the  case 
in  regard  to  the  year-day  calculations  of  prophecy 
I  am  abundantly  satisfied  ;  and  I  confess,  too,  at 
once  to  the  pleasure  that  it  affords  m.e  to  find 
that  that  which  is  sustained  by  age  is  also  sus- 
tained by  argument!  Again  he  says  :  '  Mede  is 
very  far  from  being  the  first  who  adopted  this 
solution  of  the  symbolic  term  day.  It  is  the  so- 
lution naturally  arising  from  the  construction 
put,  in  all  ages,  upon  tbe  oracle  of  Daniel  respect- 
ing the  SEVENTY  WEEKS,  which,  by  Jews 
and  Christians,  have  been  interpreted  weeks  of 
years,  on  the  principle  of  a  day  standing  for  a 
year.  This  fact  is  obvious  from  the  Rabbinical 
writers  en  masse,  where  they  touch  upon  the  sub- 
ject ;  and  Eusebius  tells  us  (Dem.  Evangl.  8,  p. 


198  LIFE   OP   MILLER. 

258 — Ed.  Stepli.),  that  tins  interpretation  in  his 
day  w&s,  ge7ie rally  if  not  universally  admitted.' 

"  I  have,  in  my  own  collection,  writers  on  the 
prophecies,  previous  to  the  time  of  Mede,  who  in- 
terpret the  1260  days  as  so  many  years,  and  who 
are  so  far  from  broaching  this  as  a  new  interpre- 
tation that  they  do  not  even  pause  to  give  the 
grounds  of  it,  but  proceed  onward,  as  if  no  risk 
were  run  in  taking  for  granted  the  soundness  of 
the  principle  which  came  down  to  them,  accred- 
ited by  the  immemorial  usage  of  their  predeces- 
sors!— Hierophant,  vol.  1,  p.  245. 

"  If  the  old,  established  principle  of  the  year- 
day  theory  is  wrong,  then,  said  Prof.  Bush,  '  not 
only  has  the  whole  Christian  world  been  led 
astray  for  ages  by  a  mere  ignis  fatuus  of  false 
hermeneutics,  but  the  church  is  at  once  cut  loose 
from  every  chronological  mooring,  and  set  adrift 
in  the  open  sea,  without  the  vestige  of  a  beacon, 
light-house,  or  star,  by  which  to  determine  her 
bearinofs  or  distances  from  the  desired  millennial 
haven  to  which  she  had  hoped  she  was  tending. 

"  o.  The  Commencement  of  the  Seventy  Weeks. 
— ^These  were  believed  by  Mr.  Miller  to  be  the 
weeks  of  years — four  hundred  and  ninety  years 
— and  commenced  with  the  decree  of  Artaxerxes 
Longimanus  to  restore  and  build  Jerusalem,  ac- 
cording to  Ezra  seventh,  B.  c.  457.  This  has  also 
long  been  considered  by  commentators  to  be  a 
settled  point ;  and  it  probably  would  not  have 
been  disputed  were  it  not  for  a  desire  to  avoid 
the  conclusion  to  which  Mr.  Miller  came,  on  the 
supposition  that  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  2800 
days.  On  so  settled  a  point  as  this  it  is  only 
necessary  to  mention  such  names  as  Home  (see 
Int.,  vol.  1,  ]».  336,  vol.  4,  p.  191),  Prideaux  (see 


MILLER  AND  HIS  REVIEWERS.         199 

Connection,  pp.  227-256),  Clarke  (see  Notes  on 
9th  of  Daniel),  Watson  (Theol.  Die,  p.  96),  Will- 
iam Howel,  LL.  D,  (Int.  of  Gen.  His.,  vol.  1,  p. 
209),  Scott,  and  Cunninghame. 

"  This  point  was  not  much  questioned  by  any. 
A  Mr.  Kindrick,  in  a  '  New  Exposition  of  the 
Prophecies]  of  Daniel,'  said:  'They  are  seventy 
years  only,  and  commenced  with  the  birth  of 
Christ  and  ended  with  the  destruction  of  the  Jew- 
ish nation.' — p.  4.  Rev.  Calvin  Newton  affirmed, 
in  the  Christian  Watchman,  that  they  were  ful- 
filled in  seventy  literal  weeks.  And  Prof  Stuart 
said  :  '  It  would  require  a  volume  of  considerable 
magnitude  even  to  give  a  history  of  the  ever- 
varying  and  contradictory  opinions  of  critics  re- 
specting this  locus  vexatissimus ;  and  perhaps  a 
still  larger,  to  establish  an  exegesis  which  would 
stand.  I  am  fully  of  opinion  that  no  interpreta- 
tion as  3"et  published  will  stand  the  test 
of  thorough  graminatico-historical  criticism.' — 
Hints,  p.  104. 

"  Mr.  Shimeal,  while  he  admitted  that  they 
are  weeks  of  years,  commenced  them  four  years 
later  than  Mr.  M. 

"Dr.  Hamilton  sustained  Mr.  Miller  on  this 
point.  He  said  :  '  The  interpretation  which  Mr. 
Miller  gives  of  Daniel's  seventy  weeks,  commenc- 
in<T  with  the  decree  of  Artaxerxes  Longimanus, 
in  the  seventh  year  of  his  reign  (b.  c.  457),  for 
the  rebuilding  of  Jerusalem,  and  terminating 
with  the  death  of  Christ,  A.  D.  33,  is,  in  the  main, 
correct,  because  here  Mr.  M.  but  gives  a  tolera- 
bly faithful  report  of  the  result  of  the  labors  of 
the  learned  Prideaux  and  others  in  this  field  of 
research.' — p.  18.  This  interpretation  was  not 
denied  by  ]^r.  Jarvis,  Mr.  Hinton,  and  Mr.  Morris, 


200  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

And  Dr.  Dowling  said  :  '  Mr.  Miller  says  the  four 
hundred  and  ninety  years  begin  B.  c.  457,  which 
is  correct.  He  says  they  end  A.  D.  33,  which  is 
also  correct.' — p.  49. 

"  6.  The  connection  hehveen  the  70  iveeks  and 
2300  Days. — This  was  a  vital  point  in  the  chro- 
nology of  Mr.  M.  to  bring  the  end  in  1843.  The 
Rev.  William  Hales,  D.  13.,  the  most  learned  mod- 
ern chronologer,  says  :  '  This  simple  and  ingenious 
adjustment  of  the  chronology  of  the  seventy 
weeks,  considered  as  forming  a  branch  of  the 
2300  days,  was  originally  due  to  the  sagacity  of 
Hans  Wood,  Esq.,  of  Rossmead,  in  the  county 
of  Westmeath,  Ireland,  and  published  by  him  in 
an  anonymous  commentary  on  the  Revelation  of 
St.  John,  Lon.,  1787.' —  New  Anal.  Chro.,  vol.  2, 
p.  564.  He  elsewhere  calls  it  'the  most  ingenious 
of  its  class.' 

"  The  argument  which  Mr.  Miller  used  in  sup- 
port of  this  point  was  based  upon  the  literal 
meaning  of  the  Hebrew  word,  which,  in  our  ver- 
sion of  Daniel  9  :  24,  is  rendered  '  determined ' 
— cut  off,  or  cut  out, — and  the  circumstances  in 
which  Gabriel  appeared  to  Daniel,  as  stated  in 
the  ninth  chapter,  with  the  instruction  given. 

"In  the  8th  chapter  of  Daniel  is  recorded  a 
vision  which  was  to  extend  to  the  cleansing  of 
the  sanctuary,  and  to  continue  2300  days.  Daniel 
had  'souQ-ht  for  the  meaninsf'  of  that  vision,  and 
a  voice  said  :  '  Gabriel,  make  this  man  to  under- 
stand the  vision.'  Gabriel  said  to  Daniel :  '  I  will 
make  thee  know  what  shall  be  in  the  last  end  of 
the  indignation ;  for,  at  the  time  appointed,  the 
end  shall  be ;'  and  then  proceeded  to  explain  the 
symbols,  but  said  nothing  of  their  duration.  At 
the  close  of  the  explanation  Daniel  fainted,  and 


MILLER   AND    HIS   REVIEWERS.  201 

was  sick  certain  days ;  and  he  says  he  '  was  as- 
tonished at  the  vision,  but  none  understood  it.' 

"  Three  years  subsequent  to  that  vision,  Daniel 
— understanding  '  by  books  the  number  of  years 
whereof  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  to  Jeremiah 
the  prophet,  that  he  would  accomphsh  seventy 
years  in  the  desolations  of  Jerusalem,' — set  his 
face  unto  the  Lord  to  seek  by  prayer  and  suppli- 
cations, with  fasting,  and  sackcloth,  and  ashes. 
He  proceeded  to  confess  his  own  sins  and  the  sins 
of  his  people,  and  to  supplicate  the  Lord's  favor 
on  the  sanctuary  that  was  desolate.  While  he 
was  thus  speaking,  Daniel  says  : — '  Gabriel,  whom 
I  had  seen  in  the  vision  at  the  beginning,  being 
caused  to  ily  swiftly,  touched  me  about  the  time 
of  the  evening  oblation ;  and  he  informed  me, 
and  talked  with  me,  and  said :  '  0  Daniel,  I  am 
now  come  forth  to  give  thee  skill  and  understand- 
ing.  At  the  beginning  of  thy  supplications  the 
commandment  came  forth,  and  I  am  come  to  show 
thee ;  for  thou  art  greatly  beloved ;  therefore 
understand  the  matter  and  consider  the  vision. 
Seventy  weeks  are  determined'  kc.  'From  the 
going  forth  of  the  decree  to  restore  and  to  build 
Jerusalem  unto  Messiah  the  Prince  :' — after  which 
Jerusalem  was  to  be  made  desolate  'until  the 
consummation.' — Dan.  9  :  20-27. 

"  Dr.  Gill,  a  distinguished  divine  and  scholar, 
rendered  the  word  'determined,'  cut  of ,  and  is 
sustained  by  good  scholars. 

"  Henofstenberff,  who  enters  into  a  critical  ex- 
amination  of  the  original  text,  says :  '  But  the 
very  use  of  the  word,  which  does  not  elsewhere 
occur,  while  others,  much  more  frequently  used, 
were  at  hand,  if  Daniel  had  wished  to  express 
the  idea  of  determination,  and  of  which  he  has 


202  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

elsewhere,  and  even  in  this  portion,  availed  him- 
self, seems  to  argue  that  the  word  stands  from 
regard  to  its  original  meaning,  and  represents 
the  seventy  weeks,  in  contrast  with  a  determina- 
tion of  time  {en  platei),  as  a  period  cut  off  from 
subsequent  dwratlon,  and  oxcurately  limited.' 
—  Christolofjy  of  the  Old  Test.,  vol.  2,  p.  301. 
Washington,  1839. 

"  Gesenius,  in  his  Hebrew  Lexicon,  gives  cut 
off'  as  the  definition  of  the  word,  and  many  oth- 
ers of  the  first  standing  as  to  learning  and  re- 
search, and  several  versions  have  thus  rendered 
the  word.* 

"  Such  being  the  meaning  of  the  word,  and 
such  the  circumstances  under  which  the  proph- 


*  A  Hebrew  scholar,  of  high  reputation,  makes  the  following 
remarks  upon  the  word  :  "  The  verb  chathah  (in  the  JSiphal  form, 
passive,  nechtak),  is  found  only  in  Daniel  ti  :  24.  Not  another  in- 
stance of  its  use  can  be  traced  in  the  entire  Hebrew  Testament. 
As  Chaldaic  and  Rabbinical  usage  must  give  us  the  true  sense  of 
the  word  :  if  we  are  guided  by  these,  it  lias  the  single  significa- 
tion of  cuTTixG  or  ci'TTixG  OFF.  In  the  Chaldeo-Rabbinic  diction- 
ary of  Stcckius,  the  word  '  chathak'  is  thus  defined  : — 

'"Scidit,  abscidit,  conscidit,  inscidit,  excidit.' — To  cut,  to  cut 
away,  to  cut  in  pieces,  to  cut  or  engrav^e,  to  cut  ojf. 

"  Mercerus,  in  his  'Thesaurus,'  furnishes  a  specimen  of  Rab- 
binical usage  iu  the  phrase  chathikah  shelbasar — '  a  piece  of 
llesh,'  or  'a  cut  of  flesh.'  He  translates  the  word  as  it  occurs  in 
Daniel  9  :  24,  by  '  priecisa  est ' — was  cut  off. 

"  In  the  literal  version  of  Arias  Montanus  it  is  translated  'de- 
cisa  est  ' — m'as  cut  off  ;  in  the  marginal  reading,  which  is  gram- 
matically correct,  it  is  rendered  by  the  plural  '  decisae  sunt ' — 
were  cut  oJf. 

"In  the  Latin  version  of  Junius  and  TremellLus,  nechtak  is 
rendered  '  decisfo  sunt.' — ivere  cvt  off. 

"Again:  in  Theodotion's  Greek'  version  of  Daniel  (which  is 
the  version  used  in  the  \'atican  copy  of  the  Septuagint  as  being 
the  most  faithful),  it  is  rendered  by  cvveriii'j&Jiaav — icere  cut  ojf; 
and  in  the  Venetian  copj'  by  TfT/j/^vrai — have  been  cut.  The  idea 
oi  cutting  off  is  pursued  in  the  Vulgate,  where  the  phrase  is  '  ab- 
breviate sunt,'  have  been  shortened. 

"Thus  Chaldaic  and  llOdiinical  authority,  and  that  of  the 
idrliest  versions, — the  Septuagint  and    Vulgate, — give  the  sixgle 

.siGXiriCATIOX    OF   CL'TTIXG    OFF   TO    THI.S   VERB," 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  203 

ecy  of  the  seventy  weeks  was  given,  Mr.  Miller 
claimed  that  tlie  vision  which  Daniel  was  called 
on  to  consider,  and  respecting  which  Gabriel  was 
to  give  him  skill  and  understanding,  was  the  vis- 
ion of  the  8th  chapter ;  of  which  Daniel  sought 
the  meaning,  which  Gabriel  was  commanded  to 
make  him  understand,  but  which,  after  Gabriel's 
explanation,  none  understood  ;  and  that  the  sev- 
enty weeks  of  yeai's — i.  e.,  four  hundred  and 
ninety  that  were  cut  off — were  cut  off  from  the 
2300  daj^s  of  that  vision ;  and,  consequently,  that 
those  two  periods  must  be  dated  from  the  same 
epoch,  and  the  longer  extend  J  810  years  after 
the  termination  of  the  shorter. 

"  The  same  view  was  advocated  by  several  En- 
glish divines.  Rev.  M.  Habershon  says  :  '  In  this 
conclusion  I  am  happy  in  agreeing  with  Mr.  Cun- 
ninghame,  who  says,  "  I  am  not  aware  of  any 
more  probable  era  which  can  be  selected  for  the 
commencement  of  the  2300  years  than  that  which 
has  been  chosen  by  some  recent  writers,  who  sup- 
posed this  period  to  have  begun  at  the  same  time 
with  the  seventy  weeks  of  Daniel,  or  in  the  year 
B.  c.  457,  and  consequently  that  it  will  terminate 
in  the  year  1843.'"— //isf.  Dis.,  p.  307. 

"The  celebrated  Joseph  Wolf,  though  dating 
the  seventy  weeks  and  2300  days  from  B.  c.  453, 
commenced  them  at  the  same  epoch. — Missionary 
Labors,  p.  259.  And  Dr.  Wilson,  of  Cincinnati, 
who  is  high  authority  in  the  Presbyterian  church, 
in  a  discourse  on  '  Cleansing  the  Sanctuary,'  says  : 
I  undertake  to  show  that  Daniel's  '  seventy 
weeks '  is  the  beginning  or  first  part  of  the  '  two 
thousand  three  hundred  days'  allotted  for  the 
cleansing  of  the  sanctuary ;  that  Daniel's  '  time, 


204  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

times,  and  a  half  is  the  last  or  concluding  part 
of  the  2300  days.' 

"Prof.  Stuart,  Dr.  Dowling,  Prof.  Chase,  and 
others,  who  denied  the  year-day  calculation  when 
applied  to  the  2300  days,  of  course  dissented 
from  Mr.  Miller  on  this  point.  Dr.  Dowling  went 
so  far  as  to  deny  (!)  that  the  Hebrew  article  liai 
(the)  is  in  the  phrase  '  the  vision,'  in  the  original 
of  Dan.  9  :  23. 

"  Of  those  who  admitted  the  year-day  theory, 
Dr.  Hamilton,  Dr.  Jarvis,  Mr.  Hinton,  and  Dr. 
Pond,  denied  any  connection  between  the  two 
periods.  Dr.  Hamilton  commenced  the  2300  days 
B.  c.  784,  and  ended  them  with  the  era  of  the 
Reformation,  A.  D.  1516.  The  others  did  not 
hazard  any  opinion  respecting  the  time  of  their 
commencement. 

"  Mr.  Miller  was  supposed  to  be  sustained  on 
this  point  by  Prof  Bush,  who  did  not  consider 
him  in  any  serious  error  respecting  the  time. 
And  Mr.  Shimeal  said,  'I  trust  it  will  not  be 
deemed  a  violation  of  that  modesty  which  be- 
comes me,  if,  for  the  reasons  here  given,  I  with- 
hold my  assent  from  the  conclusion  of  the  R.ev. 
Dr.  Jarvis  on  this  subject;  which  is  that  the 
seventy  weeks  form  no  part  of  the  two  thousand 
three  hundred  days.' — p.  34. 

"  7.  The  rise  of  the  Papacy  —the  Little  Horn  of 
Dan.  7. — Mr.  Miller  claimed  that  the  one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  sixty  years  of  the  papacy  were 
to  be  reckoned  from  A.  D.  538,  by  virtue  of  the 
decree  of  Justinian.  This  decree,  though  issued 
A.  D.  533,  did  not  go  into  full  etfect  until  538, 
when  the  enemies  of  the  Catholics  in  Rome  were 
subjugated  by  Belisarius,  a  general  of  Justinian. 
In  this  view,  as  to  the  rise  of  papacy,  he  was 


MILLER   AND    UIS   REVIEWERS.  205 

sustained  by  Croly  (see  his  work  on  Apoc,  pp. 
113-117);  G.  T.  Noel  (see  Prospects  of  Ch.,  p. 
100) ;  Wm,  Cunninghame,  Esq.  (Pol.  Destiny  of 
the  earth,  p.  28);  Keith,  vol.  1,  p.  93;  Encyclo- 
pedia of  Eel.  Knowl.,  art.  Antichrist;  Edward 
King,  Esq.,  and  others. 

"  Prof  Stuart  and  Prof  Chase,  in  applying 
this  little  horn  to  Antiochus,  and  the  beast  of  the 
Apocalypse  to  Nero,  explained  these  numbers  in 
days,  satisfactorily  to  themselves. 

"  Dr.  Jarvis,  who  admitted  that  they  symbolize 
years,  denied  Mr.  Miller's  commencement,  without 
assigning  any  other.  He  said  :  '  I  would  rather 
imitate  the  caution  of  the  learned  Mr.  Mede, 
with  regard  to  the  time  of  the  great  apostasy, 
"  and  curiously  inquire  not,  but  leave  it  unto  him 
who  is  the  Lord  of  times  and  seasons." ' 

"And  of  the  1260,  1290,  and  1335  days,  Mr. 
Dowling  said ,  '  If  I  am  asked  the  question.  As 
you  reject  the  interpretation  Mr.  Miller  gives  of 
these  prophetic  times,  can  you  furnish  a  better  ? 
I  reply,  /  do  not  feel  myself  hound  to  furnish 
any'  ! — Reply  to  M.,  p.  25. 

"  Dr.  Hamilton  rather  agreed  with  Faber  and 
Scott,  in  dating  from  the  decree  of  Phocus,  A.  D. 
606. 

"Mr.  Shimeal  sustained  Mr.  Miller  in  dating 
from  the  decree  of  Justinian,  but  reckoned  from 
the  date  of  its  issue,  instead  of  from  its  going 
into  effect. — p.  45. 

"8.  The  Coming  of  Christ. — Mr.  Miller  con- 
tended that  this  was  to  be  literal  and  personal. 
This  was  the  view  which  had  been  entertained 
by  the  church  in  all  ages,  and  is  recognized  in 
the  formulas  of  faith  adopted  by  all  evangelical 
churches.     Whether  his  coming  is  to  be  pre  or 


206  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

post  millennial,  is  another  question ;  but  that 
Christians,  in  all  ages,  have  believed  that  Christ 
will  come  again  in  person  to  judge  the  world,  will 
not  be  questioned. 

"  That  Christ  will  ever  thus  return  was  denied 
by  Prof.  Stuart  and  Prof.  Bush.  The  former  said 
that  he  had  '  a  deeper  conviction  than  ever  of  the 
difficulties  which  attend  the  supposition  of  a  per- 
sonal,  actual,  and  visible  descent  of  Christ  and 
the  glorified  saints  to  the  earth.' — Hints,  2d  ed., 
p.  153.  Again:  'All  the  prophecies  respecting 
the  Messiah  are  invested  with  the  costume  of 
figurative  language.' — lb.,  p.  183.  And  again : 
'  Christ  himself  assumed  a  visible  appearance,'  at 
his  first  advent,  '  only  that  he  might  take  on  him 
our  nature  and  die  for  sin.  When  he  appears  a 
second  time,  there  is  no  necessity  for  assuming 
such  a  nature.' — lb.,  p.  185. 

"  Prof  Bush  gave  as  his  opinion,  that  '  the  sec- 
ond advent  of  the  Saviour  is  not  affirmed  to  be 
personal,  hut  sjyiritual  and  'provldeiitud ;  and 
that  the  event  so  denominated  is  to  l:)e  considered 
as  having  entered  upon  its  incipient  fulfillment  ata 
very  early  period  of  the  Christian  dispensation.' 
— Anastasis,  p.  9. 

"  Mr.  Dowlinff  and  others,  who  admitted  the 
personal  coming  of  Christ  at  the  close  of  the  mil- 
lennium, claimed  that  the  predicted  reign  of 
Christ  on  earth  during  that  period  is  to  be  spirit- 
ual. 

"  But  Mr.  Shimeal  sustained  Mr.  Miller  in  his 
belief  that  the  advent  will  be  personal  and  pre- 
millennial.  And  Bishop  Hopkins,  of  Vermont 
(Two  Discourses  on  the  Advent),  while  he  claimed 
that  the  time  was  not  revealed,  said,  nevertheless, 
*  we  would  admonish  you,  with  still  greater  earn- 


iMILLER   AND    HIS    REVIEWERS,  207 

estness,  to  keep  your  souls  in  constant  readiness 
for  your  Lord's  advent,  and  in  a  state  "of  sacred 
desire  to  behold  him  in  his  glory.' — p.  20. 

"9.  The  Return  of  the  Jeius.—lslv.  Miller 
looked  for  no  return  of  the  Jevrs  previous  to  the 
resurrection  of  the  just ;  and  the  righteous  of  that 
nation,  who  have  died  in  the  faith  of  Abraham, 
with  all  Gentile  believers  of  like  precious  faith,  he 
regarded  as  the  subjects  of  all  unfulfilled  promises 
to  Israel — the  fulfillment  of  which  will  be  in  the 
new  earth,  and  in  the  resurrection  out  from 
among  the  dead. 

"  That  the  promise  to  Abraham  has  reference  to 
the  resurrection  state,  is  no  novel  or  unscriptural 
view. 

"Eabbi  Eliezer  the  Great,  supposed  to  have 
lived  just  after  the  second  temple  was  built,  ap- 
plied Hosea  14  :  8  to  the  pious  Jews,  who  seemed 
likely  to  die  without  seeing  the  glory  of  Israel, 
saying:  'As  I  live,  saith  Jehovah,  I  will  raise 
you  up  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead ;.  and  I 
will  gather  you  with  all  Israel.' 

"The  Sadducees  are  reported  to  have  asked 
Eabbi  Gamaliel,  the  preceptor  of  Paul,  whence 
he  would  prove  that  God  would  raise  the  dead ; 
who  quoted  Deut.  0  :  21 :  '  Which  land  the  Lord 
sware  that  be  Vv^ould  give  to  your  fathers'  He 
argued,  as  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  had  it  not, 
and  as  God  cannot  lie,  that  they  must  be  raised 
from  the  dead  to  inherit  it. 

"  Rabbi  Simai,  though  of  later  date,  argues  the 
same  from  Ex.  G  :  4,  insisting  that  the  law  asserts 
in  this  place  the  resurrection  from  the  dead,  when 
it  said,  '  And  also  I  have  established  my  cove- 
nant with  them,  to  give  them  the  Canaan;'  for,  he 
adds,  '  It  is  not  said  to  you,  but  to  them.' 


208  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

"  Mennasseh  Ben  Israel  says :  '  It  is  plain  that 
Abraham  and  the  rest  of  the  patriarchs  did  not 
possess  that  land  :  it  follows,  therefore,  that  they 
must  be  raised  in  order  to  enjoy  the  promised 
good,  as,  otherwise,  the  promises  of  God  would  be 
vain  and  false." — De  Resurrect.  Mort.,  L,  i.,  c.  1, 
sec.  4. 

"Rabbi  Saahias  Gaion,  commenting  on  Dan. 
12:  2,  says:  'This  is  the  resuscitation  of  the 
dead  Israel,  whose  lot  is  eternal  life,  and  those 
who  shall  not  awake  are  the  forsakers  of  Jeho- 
vah.' 

" '  In  the  world  to  come,'  says  the  Sahar,  fol. 
81,  '  the  blessed  God  will  vivify  the  dead  and 
raise  them  from  their  dust,  so  that  they  shall  be 
no  more  an  earthly  structure.' 

"Luther,  Calvin,  and  many  other  divines  of 
the  era  of  the  Reformation,  apply  the  promises  to 
Abraham  in  a  like  manner ;  as  do  many  divines 
of  the  present  time. 

"  Of  those  who  entered  the  list  against  Mr.  Mil- 
ler, Dr.  Dowling,  Mr.  Shimeal,  and  Dr.  Hamilton, 
strenuously  contended  for  the  return  of  the  Jews 
in  the  flesh  to  Palestine. 

"  Prof  Stuart  sustained  Mr,  Miller  so  far  as  the 
question  has  respect  to  the  true  Israel,  applying 
the  promises  to  aJl  who  are  of  the  faith  of  Abra- 
ham. 

"10.  The  Epoch  of  the  Resurrection. — Mr. 
MiUer  held  that  the  resurrection  of  the  just  will 
be  pre-millennial,  and  that  that  of  the  wicked 
will  be  at  the  close  of  the  millennium.  This 
hinges  on  the  interpretation  given  to  Rev.  20  :  4 
-6.  It  is  worthy  of  note  that,  during  the  first 
two  centuries,  there  was  not  an  individual  who 
believed  in  any  resurrection  of  the  dead,  whose 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  209 

name  or  memory  lias  come  down  to  us,  who  de- 
nied that  a  literal  resurrection  is  there  taught. 

"  Eusebius  admits  that  Papias  was  a  disciple  of 
John  the  Evangelist,  and  that  he  taught  that, 
'  after  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  kingdom 
of  Christ  shall  be  established  corporeally  on  this 
earth.' — [Hist.  Lib.  3,  Sec.  39.]  And  Jerome 
quotes  Papias  [De  Script.  Eccles.]  as  saying, 
that  '  he  had  the  apostles  for  his  authors,  and  that 
he  considered  what  Andrew,  what  Peter  said, 
what  Philip,  what  Thomas  said,  and  other  disci- 
ples of  the  Lord.'  Iremeus  taught  that  at  the 
resurrection  of  the  just  the  meek  should  inherit 
the  earth ;  and  that  then  Avould  be  fulfilled  the 
promise  which  God  made  to  Abraham. 

"  Justyn  Martyr,  who  was  born  A.  d.  89,  seven 
years  before  the  Revelations  were  written,  says 
that  he  and  many  others  are  of  this  mind,  '  that 
Christ  shall  reign  personally  on  the  earth,'  and 
that  'all  who  were  accounted  orthodoxso  believed.' 
He  also  says,  'A  certain  man  among  us,  whose 
name  is  John,  being  one  of  the  twelve  apostles 
of  Christ,  in  that  Revelation  which  was  shown  to 
him,  prophesied  that  those  who  believe  in  our 
Christ  shall  fulfill  a  thousand  years  at  Jerusa- 
lem.' 

"  Tertullian,  who  wrote  about  A.  d  180,  says  it 
was  a  custom  of  his  times  for  Christians  to  pray 
that  they  might  have  part  in  the  first  resurrec- 
tion ;  and  Cyprian,  who  lived  about  A.  D.  2'IQ, 
says  that  Christians  '  had  a  thrist  for  martyrdom, 
that  they  might  obtain  a  better  resurrection,' — 
the  martyrs  being  raised  at  the  commencement 
of  the  thousand  years. 

"  The  first  of  whom  we  have  any  account  that 

Miller.  1  4 


210  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

opposed  this  doctrine  was  Origen,  in  the  middle 
of  the  third  century,  v/ho  styled  those  who  ad- 
hered to  it  '  the  simpler  sort  of  Christians.'  Mo- 
sheim  assures  us  that  the  opinion  '  that  Christ  was 
to  come  and  reign  a  thousand  years  among  men ' 
had,  before  the  time  of  Origen,  '  met  with  no  op- 
jposition! — Cli.  Hist.,  vol.  1,  p.  284. 

"  At  the  era  of  the  Reformation  this  doctrine 
was  revived,  and  taught  by  Luther  and  Melanc- 
thon ;  it  is  in  the  confession  of  Augsburg  (a.  d. 
1530) ;  was  the  belief  of  Latimer,  Cranmer,  and 
Ridley;  is  in  the  Articles  of  the  Church  (Ed.  vi., 
A.  D.  1552) ;  is  not  denied  in  the  more  prominent 
creeds  and  confessions  of  faith  of  the  churches, 
and  was  believed  by  Mede,  Sir  Isaac  Newton, 
Bishop  Newton,  Milton,  Knox,  Bunyan,  Gill, 
Cowper,  Heber,  Pollok,  Greswell,  and  many  oth- 
er distinguished  names  of  modern  times. 

"  This  point  was  vital  to  Mr.  Miller's  theory, 
for,  however  correct  he  might  be  in  his  time, 
without  this  event  he  must  fail  in  his  application 
of  prophecy. 

"  Prof  Bush,  while  he  admitted  that  all  '  the 
leading  periods  mentioned  by  Daniel  and  John 
do  actually  expire  about  this  age  of  the  world ' 
{Letter  to  Mr.  71/.,  p.  G),  claimed  that  '  the  great 
event  before  the  world  is  not  its  jjhysical  con- 
flagration, but  its  moral  regeneration.' — p.  11. 

"  Mr.  Hinton  said  :  '  It  is  possible  we  may  have 
1  cached  the  goal  of  the  world's  moral  destiny.  It 
is,  indeed,  our  deliberate  opinion  that  we  are  in 
the  general  period    of  termination   of  the    23d 

century  alluded  to  by  the  proi:)het and 

that  the  events  alluded  to  in  the  phrase  "  then 
shall  the  sanctuary  be  cleansed  "  are  now  actually 
passing  before  us.' — p.  121.     But  he  considered 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  211 

the  event  '  Sb  resurrection  from  death  in  trespasses 
and  sins.' — p.  336. 

"  Dr.  Dowling,  Dr.  Hamilton,  and  others,  while 
they  did  not  admit,  with  Prof.  Bush,  that  the 
present  age  'is  just  opening  upon  the  crowning- 
consummation  of  all  prophetic  declarations,'  con- 
tended that  the  millennium  '  is  to  be  ushered  in, 
not  by  a  literal  resurrection  of  the  bodies  of  the 
saints,  but  by  the  figurative  resurrection  of  the 
holy  men  of  all  past  ages,  in  the  numerous  in- 
stances of  eminent  piety  that  shall  appear  in 
every  nation  under  heaven.' — Dr.  H.,  p.  80. 

"  Prof  Stuart,  while  he  admitted  that  the  res- 
urrection here  brought  to  view  V/^as  a  resurrection 
of  the  body,  limited  it  to  the  martyrs,  and  denied 
that  there  is  to  be  a  descent  of  Christ  to  the 
earth,  or  a  visible  reign  of  the  martyrs  with  him, 

"  Dr.  Jarvis  did  not  deny  the  event  for  which 
Mr.  Miller  looked  ;  and  Mr.  Shimeal  taught,  with 
Mr.  Miller,  the  resurrection  of  the  glorified  saints, 
and  their  visible  reign  with  Christ  on  the  earth ; 
but  he  held  that  they  would  reign  over  the  con- 
verted nations,  and  denied  the  conflagration  pre- 
vious to  the  end  of  the  thousand  years. 

"  And  Bishop  Hopkins  gave  as  his  opinion  that 
the  consummation  '  is  drawing  nigh ;  how  nigh 
none  can  tell.' 

"  There  were  various  other  issues  between  Mr. 
Miller  and  his  reviewers ;  but  they  were  more 
collateral  than  vital  to  the  question  at  issue,  and 
are  not,  therefore,  particularly  noticed  in  this 
connection. 

"It  is  seen,  from  the  foregoing,  that  Mr.  Miller's 
points,  taken  separately,  were  not  new  or  orig- 
inal with  him ;  and  that  the  peculiarity  of  his 
theoiy  consisted  in  putting  them  togetJter ;  and 


212  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

that,  while  none  of  his  opposers  condemned  the 
whole,  and  each  point  separately  was  admitted 
by  some  of  them,  there  was  no  more  unanimity 
between  them  than  l:)etween  him  and  them.  They 
had  not  only  to  battle  with  Mr.  Miller's  theory, 
but  each  had  to  disprove  those  of  the  others. 

"  It  was,  therefore,  not  surprising  that  the  re- 
viewers of  Mr.  Miller  made  no  impression  on 
those  who  held  his  opinions.  It  was  seen  that  to 
oppose  him  they  were  ready  to  abandon  old  es- 
tablished principles  of  Protestant  interpretation. 
Even  the  Boston  Recorder  (Orthodox  Cong.) 
said :    '  It  rtiiist  needs  he  acknowledged   that 

OUR  FAITH  IS  GREATLY  SHAKEN  IN  THE  INTERPRE- 
TATIONS ON  WHICH,  IN  COMMON  AVITH  MOST  OF 
OUR  OWN  BRETHREN,  WE  HAVE  HERETOFORE  RE- 
LIED, and  which  forms  the  FOUNDATION  of 
the  baseless  theories  of  Miller  ! '  And  the  Chris- 
tian Advocate  and  Journal  (Meth.  Epis.)  said: 
'If  his  (Prof.  Chase's)  views  in  regard  to  the 
prophecies  of  Daniel  be  correct,  the  long-estab- 
lished opiiiion  that  the  Roman  Empire  is  the 
fourth  kingdom  of  the  prophet,  riaist  give  way  to 
the  more  successful  researches  of  Dr.  Chase. 
Some  other  opinions,  which  have  been  thought  to 
be  settled  beyond  a  doubt,  ARE  TERRIBLY 
SHAKEN.' 

"  Those  who  adhered  to  the  established  princi- 
ples of  interpretation  did  not  fail  to  perceive  that 
Prof.  Stuart,  Dr.  Dowling,  Prof.  Chase,  &c.,  had 
not  fairly  met  Mr.  Miller,  and  that  their  exposi- 
tions would  not  stand  the  test  of  sound  criticism. 

"Of  Professors  Stuart  and  Bush  the  New  York 
Evangelist  said  :  '  The  tendency  of  these  views  is 
to  destroy  the  Scripture  evidence  of  the  doctrine 
of  any  real  end  of  the  world,  any  day  of  final 


MILLER    AND    HIS    REVIEWERS.  'Jl.') 

judgment,  or  general  resurrection  of  the  body. 
The  style  of  interpretation,  we  assert,  tends  fear- 
fully to  UnivcTsaUsm.  This  tendency  we  are 
prepared  to  prove.' 

"The  Hartford  U niver^iall si  8Si\(\.  o^  Professor 
Stuart :  '  He  puts  an  uncompromising  veto  upon 
the  popular  interpretations  of  Daniel  and  Reve- 
lation, and  iniifcs  wifJt  Universalists  in  contend- 
ing that  most  of  their  contents  had  special  refer- 
ence to,  and  their  fulfillment  in,  scenes  and  events 
which  transpired  but  a  few  years  after  those 
books  were  written.' — Oct.  15,  1842. 

"  Mr.  Hinton  said  of  the  same  :  '  We  regret  that, 
in  the  midst  of  the  great  moral  conflict  with  An- 
tichrist, which  is  now  carrying  on,  those  into 
whose  hands  the  saints  were  so  long  given 
should  find  so  able  a  coadjutor.  We  have,  how- 
ever, no  fears  that  Christians  of  sound  common 
sense,  and  capable  of  independent  thought,  will, 
after  a  candid  consideration  of  the  scheme  which 
excludes  papacy  from  the  page  of  prophecy,  and 
that  which  traces  in  the  prophetic  symbols  a 
faithful  portraiture  of  its  abominations,  make  a 
wrong  decision.  Since  we  have  read  the  work 
of  the  learned  Stuart,  we  have  rejoiced  the  more 
that  our  humble  abilities  have  been  directed  to 
the  defense  of  the  old  paths.' — PropJi.  Illus.,  p. 
231. 

"  Of  Mr.  iJowling,  Dr.  Breckenbridge  said  :  '  As 
for  this  disquisition  of  Mr.  Dowling,  we  may  con- 
fidently say  that  it  is  hardl}^  to  be  conceived  that 
anything  could  be  printed  by  Mr.  Miller,  or  Mr. 
Any-body-else,  more  shallow,  absurd  and  worth- 
less. There  is  hardly  a  point  he  touches  on  which 
he  has  not  managed  to  adopt  the  very  idlest  con- 
jectures of  past  writers  on  the  prophecies;  and 


214  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

this  SO  entirely  without  regard  to  any  coherent 
system,  that  the  only  clear  conviction  a  man  of 
sense  or  reflection  could  draw  from  his  pamphlet, 
if  such  a  man  could  be  supposed  capable  of  be- 
lieving it,  would  be  that  the  ^prophecies  tJtemselves 
are  a  jumble  of  nonsense.  Such  answers  as  his 
can  have  no  effect,  we  would  suppose,  except  to 
bring  the  whole  subject  into  ridicule,  or  to  2^'^o- 
viote  the  cause  he  attacks! — Spirit  of  the  19th 
Century,  March  No.,  18^3. 

"  Again  he  says,  in  speaking  of  '  the  general  ig- 
norance which  prevails  on  this  subject,'  that  of 
it  '  no  greater  evidence  need  be  produced  than 
the  fact  that  this  pamphlet  of  Mr.  Dowling  has 
been  extensively  relied  on,  yea,  'preached,  as  a 
sufficient  answer '  to  Mr.  Miller. 

"  On  surveying  the  whole  field  of  controversy. 
Professor  Bush,  while  he  claimed  that  the  spirit- 
ualists were  nearer  the  truth,  said  of  them : 
'  They  have  not  answered  the  arguments  of  their 
opponents,  nor  can  they  do  it  on  the  ground  which 
they  themselves  professedly  occupy  in  respect  to 
a  millennium.  Assuming  that  that  period  is  yet 
future,  and  its  commencement  of  no  distant  date, 
the  Literalists,  or  Adventists,  bear  down  with 
overwhelming  weight  of  argument  upon  them, 
maintaining  that  the  second  coming  precedes 
and  ushers  in  that  sublime  era.  The  spiritual- 
ists say.  Nay,  but  refuse  to  commit  themselves  to 
a  defined  position.  All  that  they  know  is,  that 
there  is  to  be  a  millennium  of  some  kind,  occur- 
ring at  some  time,  introduced  in  some  way,  and 
brought  to  an  end  from  some  cause  ;  and  that  im- 
mediately thereupon  the  Lord  is  to  descend  from 
heaven,  burn  up  the  earth,  raise  the  dead,  and 
administer  the  judgment;  but   as  to  the  what, 


MILLER    AND    HIS   REVIEWERS.  215 

the  when,  the  how,  the  why — on  these  points 
they  rest  content  in  k noivlng  iwt}iing,heca.use  of 
the  impression  taken  up  that  nothing  is  to  he 
knownr—N.  G.  Repos.,  1849,  p.  248. 

"  Dr.  Jarvis,  in  his  sermons,  was  particularly 
severe  on  Mr.  Miller,  but  afterwards  did  him  am- 
ple justice,  as  in  the  following.  He  said:  'Mr. 
Miller,  in  his  eagerness  to  make  out  his  scheme, 
absolutely  falsities  the  language  of  the  Bible. 
He  makes  Jehoram  to  have  reigned  five  years, 
where  the  Scripture  positively  says  he  reigned 
eight ;  and  between  Amaziah  and  Azariah,  or 
Uzziah,  he  introduces  an  interregnum  of  eleven 
years,  for  which  he  has  not  even  the  shadow  of 
an  authority  in  the  Bible.  He  quotes,  indeed, 
chapters  14  and  15  of  the  2d  book  of  Kings ; 
and  this  may  be  sufficient  for  those  who  are  ready 
to  take  his  opinions  upon  trust.  But,  if  you  ex- 
amine the  chapters  to  which  he  refers,  you  will 
be  astonished  to  find  that  there  is  not  in  either 
of  them  one  word  upon  the  subject.' — Sermons, 
p.  55. 

"  In  his  preface  to  his  sermons  Dr.  Jarvis  makes 
the  following  correction  of  the  above.  He 
says  :— 

"  '  It  will  be  seen  that  in  speaking  of  the  cur- 
tailment of  the  reign  of  Jehoram,  the  son  of  Je- 
hoshaphat,  from  eight  to  five  years,  and  the  intro- 
duction of  eleven  years  of  interregnum  between 
the  reigns  of  Amaziah  and  Uzziah,  he  has  cen- 
sured Mr.  Miller  in  too  unmeasured  terms.  These 
particulars  he  is  bound  to  explain. 

" '  It  would  have  been  easier,  and  perhaps  more 
advantageous  to  the  author,  to  have  made  the  al- 
terations silently,  and  omitted  the  censure.  But 
would  it  have  been  equally  honest  ? 


216  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

" '  In  preparing  the  introductory  volume  of  liis 
"  Ecclesiastical  Histor}^/'  he  had  carefully  avoided 
reading  modern  writers  on  chronology,  for  fear  of 
being  biased  by  their  systems.  For  this  reason 
he  had  never  read  the  learned  work  of  Dr.  Hales  ; 
and  though  familiar  with  Petavius,  Usher,  and 
Marsham,  a  good  while  had  elapsed  since  he  had 
consulted  them  on  the  parts  of  history  connected 
with  the  prophecies.  But  these  great  writers  be- 
ing entirely  silent  as  to  any  interregnum  in  the 
kingdom  of  Judah,  the  existence  of  such  an 
interregnum  was  entirely  a  new  idea  to  him. 
Mr.  Miller  quoted  2  Kings,  14,  15,  without 
mentioning  the  verses  from  which  he  drew  the 
inference ;  and  it  was  not  till  the  author  had 
read  Dr.  Hales'  "  Analysis  "  that  he  saw  the  cor- 
rectness of  that  inference.  If  this  admission  gives 
Mr.  Miller  an  advantage,  he  is  fairly  entitled  to 
it.  We  cannot,  for  one  moment,  suppose  that 
he  knew  anything  about  Dr.  Hales  or  his  work. 
As  a  plain,  unlettered  man,  his  perspicuity  in 
reading  his  Bible,  and  Jus  Bible  only,  is  much  to 
his  credit ;  and  we  ought  to  consider  it  as  giving 
additional  force  to  the  reasons  assigned  by  Dr. 
Hales,  that  an  ignorant  man,  as  Mr.  Miller  con- 
fessedly is,  should,  from  the  mere  examination 
of  the  Bible,  have  arrived  at  the  same  conclu- 
sion. The  censure,  however,  in  the  sermon,  holds 
good  with  regard  to  the  reign  of  Jehoram,  the 
son  of  Jehoshaphat  (2  Kings,  8:17;  2  Chron. 
21:5);  but,  being  equally  applicable  to  Archbishop 
Usher,  should  not  have  been  laid  particularly  at 
Mr.  Miller's  door.' 


ins  TREATMEXT  OF  OPPOXEXTS.        217 


CHAPTER   Xir. 

HIS  TREATMENT  OF  OPPONENTS — SPECIMENS  OF  HIS  PPvEACH- 
ING — COLLOQUIAL,  EXPOSTULATORY,  EXPOSITORY,  ET(,'. 

"Me.  Miller  did  not  consider  that  his  reviewers 
always  treated  him  and  his  arguments  with  the 
utmost  fairness  ;  and,  in  speaking  of  them,  he 
sometimes  retorted  in  terms  of  great  severity. 
Considering  his  treatment,  by  the  religious  and 
secular  press,  and  the  contumely  which  was  in- 
cessantly heaped  on  him,  that  he  should,  at  times, 
manifest  a  degree  of  impatience,  was  more  an  oc- 
casion of  regret  than  of  surprise.  Few  men  have 
been  called  to  endure  so  great  an  amount  of  re- 
proach as  fell  to  his  lot ;  and  few  could  have  en- 
dured it  as  he  did.  He  was  human,  and  shared 
in  all  the  weaknesses  common  to  humanity  ;  but, 
whenever  he  failed  to  endure  the  smart  of  unde- 
served wounds  with  all  the  sweetness  of  gospel 
charity,  no  one  more  sincerely  regretted  it  than 
he  did  ;  and  his  liability  to  err  in  this  respect  was 
with  him  a  subject  of  many  prayers  and  tears. 

"His  severity,  however,  was  often  richly  mer- 
ited ;  and  he  knew  how  to  be  severe,  without  be- 
ing uncourteous.  Those  who  used  their  learning 
to  fritter  away  the  plain  meaning  of  Scripture, 
and  to  make  it  teach  something  v/hich  the  com- 
mon reader  would  never  have  perceived  in  it, 
merely  for  the  purpose  of  opposing  his  conclu- 
sions— he  had  little  inclination  to  spare. 

"  In  speaking  of  the  8th  chapter  of  Daniel,  and 
the  question,  '  How  long  shall  be  the  vision  ? '  he 
says,  '  The  answer  is,  "  Unto  2300  days." 


218  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"'Bat,'  says  the  critic,  it  is  'evenings- morn- 
ings. ' 

"  '  No  matter  :  all  men  seem  to  understand  it 
days ;  for  it  is  so  translated  in  every  language 
with  which  we  are  acquainted  at  the  present  day. 
Therefore,  this  can  never  be  made  plainer,  if  this 
compound  Hebrew  word  should  be  criticised  upon 
until  the  judgment  shall  set.  I  am  sick  of  this 
continual  harping  upon  words.  Our  learned  crit- 
ics are  worse  on  the  waters  of  truth  than  a  school 
of  sharks  on  the  fishing-banks  of  the  north,  and 
they  have  made  more  infidels  in  our  world  than 
all  the  heathen  mythology  in  existence.  What 
word  in  revelation  has  not  been  turned,  twisted, 
racked,  wrested,  distorted,  demolished,  and  anni- 
hilated by  these  voracious  harpies  in  human  shape, 
until  the  public  have  become  so  bewildered  they 
know  not  what  to  believe  ?  "  They  have  fouled 
the  waters  with  their  feet."  I  have  always  no- 
ticed where  they  tread  the  religious  spirit  is  at  a 
low  ebb.  It  becomes  cold,  formal,  and  doubtful, 
at  least.  It  is  the  mind  of  the  Spirit  we  want, 
and  God's  word  then  becomes  spirit  and  life 
unto  us. 

"  '  The  words  "  evenings-Tnornings  "  convey  to 
our  mind  the  idea  of  days ;  thus  this  vision  is 
2300  days  long,'  says  the  reader. 

'"Yes.  But  how  can  all  this  be  ?"  says  the 
inquiring  mind.  'Can  three  kingdoms  rise  up 
and  become  great ;  from  a  small  people  become 
a  strong  nation ;  conquer  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth,  and  then  in  its  turn,  be  subdued  and  con- 
quered by  a  kingdom  still  more  fortunate ;  and 
so  on  through  three  successive  kingdoms,  and  do 
this  in  little  over  six  years  ?     Impossible. 


HIS  TREATMENT  OF  OPPONENTS.        219 

" '  But  God  has  said  it,  and  I  must  believe. 
Now  the  only  difficulty  is  in  time.' 

"  '  How  can  this  be  ? ' 

" '  Very  well/  says  the  dear  child  of  God ;  '  I 
remember  me :  God  says  I  must  "  dig  for  the 
truth  as  for  hid  treasure."  I  will  go  to  work, 
and,  while  I  am  digging,  I  will  live  by  begging. 
Father  in  Heaven,  I  believe  it  is  thy  word  ;  but 
I  do  not  understand  it ;  show  me  thy  truth.' 

"  I  had  rather  have  one  humble  prayer  of  this 
kind,  with  an  English  Bible  in  my  hand,  than  all 
the  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin  Bro.  S.  ever  knew. 

"  The  child  then  takes  the  word  day,  and  com- 
pares spiritual  things  with  spiritual,  to  find  what 
his  Heavenly  Father  means  by  days  in  a  figura- 
tive sense.  The  first  text  he  lights  upon  is  in 
Num.  14  :  34,  '  each  day  for  a  year! 

"  '  May  this  not  be  it  ? '  says  the  child. 

"  He  takes  hold  of  it  by  faith,  carries  it  home, 
lays  it  up  in  his  cell  of  sweets,  richer  than  a  lord, 
and  again  goes  forth  in  search  of  more.  He  now 
lights  upon  Eze.  4:6:  '  /  have  a-ppointed  thee 
each  day  for  a  year!  He  is  now  rich  in  very 
deed — two  jewels  in  one  cell.  He  does  not  stop 
to  criticize,  like  a  Stuart,  and  query,  and  reason 
himself  out  of  common  sense  and  reason  too ; 
but,  Abraham-like,  he  believes,  and  lays  up  his 
treasure  at  home. 

"'I  see,'  says  the  child,  'this  use  of  days  was 
so  ordained  by  my  Father  in  two  cases ;  and  two 
witnesses  are  enough.  But  I  am  not  certain 
that  I  have  a  right  to  use  these  jewels  in  this 
place.     I  will  go  and  beg,  and  dig  again.' 

"  In  this  excursion  he  lights  on  Daniel  9  :  23- 
27 :  '  Seventy  weeks  are  determined  upon  thy 
people.' 


220  LIFE    OF    MJLLEK. 

"  'Seventy  weeks  of  what  ? '  says  tlie  critic. 

"  'I  do  not  care  a  fig/  says  the  believing  child, 
'  whether  you  call  it  dayfi  or  yearn :  I  know  how 
long  it  was  in  fulfilling.' 

" '  How  long  ? ' 

"'Exactly  four  hundred  and  ninety  years: 
from  the  decree  given  in  the  seventh  year  of 
Artaxerxes,  four  hundred  and  fifty-seven  years 
before  Christ,  unto  his  death,  thirty- three  years 
after  the  birth  of  Christ,  making  exactly  four  hun- 
dred and  ninety  years,  or  seventy  sevens  of  years 
of  the  vision.' 

"Prof  Stuart  having  applied  the  days  in  Daniel 
12  to  the  times  of  Antiochus,  when  the  context 
shows  that  the  resurrection  will  follow  their  term- 
ination, Mr.  Miller  said :  ''Suppose  Prof  Stuart 
had  been  a  believing  Jew,  and  lived  in  the  time 
of  Antiochus,  and  had  been  of  the  same  mind  he 
is  now,  or  says  he  is,  and  one  of  his  brother  Jews 
had  come  along  and  prophesied  or  preached  that 
the  Jews  were  to  be  a  scattered  and  a  peeled  peo- 
ple, dashed  and  scattered  among  all  nations,  more 
than  two  thousand  years,  then  to  come ;  and  sup- 
pose the  professor  had  been  then  an  expounder  of 
the  law  and  the  prophets,  and  was  called  upon  to 
explain  this  text  as  being  then  fulfilled,  what 
would  he  say  to  his  brother  Jew,  the  prophet  ? 
He  would  say,  as  any  man  must  say  by  him  : — 

" '  Sir,  you  are  a  false  prophet ;  for  God  has 
told  us  plainly,  in  this  very  text,  that,  when  this 
three  and  a  half  years  are  fulfilled  under  which 
we  are  now  groaning,  then  our  scattering  or  dash- 
ing will  be  accomplished — yes,  and  finished,  too. 
So  says  the  word.  Therefore  do  you  keep  away 
from  my  flock  of  Pharisees,  for  I  do  not  want  my 
people  excited  by  your  false,  alarming  doctrine. 


HIS  TREATMENT  OF  OPPONENTS.        221 

Do  you  not  see  that,  at  the  end  of  1335  days, 
Daniel  will  stand  in  his  lot  ?  And  do  you  not 
see,  sir,  that  his  standing  in  his  lot  means  the 
resurrection  ?  Read  the  first  three  verses  of  this 
chapter.' 

"  '  Ah,'  says  the  prophet,  '  that  does  not  mean 
the  resurrection,  but ' 

"  '  But  what  V  says  the  professor. 

" '  Oh  I  I  do  not  know — difhcult  to  under- 
stand,' says  the  prophet. 

" '  I  see,'  says  the  professor,  '  you  are  a  Sad- 
ducee.  You  do  not  understand  either  the  He- 
brew or  the  Chaldaic,  or  the  exegesis  of  the 
Scriptures.  How  dare  you  prophesy  evil  of  this 
nation,  when  God  hath  spoken  peace  after  these 
days  ?  I  say  you  are  a  Sadducee.  I  will  have 
no  fellowship  with  you.  You  must  not  come 
into  my  synagogue.' 

"  Would  not  this  be  the  natural  result  of  such 
a  case  ?     I  leave  it  for  the  reader  to  judge. 

"Or,  suppose  that  the  professor  was  now  in 
controversy  with  a  Jew, — a  Sadducee, — ^and  was 
under  the  necessity  of  proving  the  doctrine 
of  the  resurrection  by  the  Old  Testament,  would 
he  not  put  into  requisition  this  very  text,  and 
prove  by  the  same  a  resurrection  unto  eternal 
life  ?  And,  if  he  did  not  believe  such  plain  and 
positive  proofs  as  these  texts  would  be,  would  he 
not  consider  him  a  poor,  blinded  Sadducee  ?  Let 
us  be  careful  that  our  own  mouths  do  not  con- 
demn us. 

"  If,  then,  these  days  can  only  end  with  the 
resurrection,  it  is  impossible  that  these  Scriptures 
can  apply  to  Antiochus.  And,  as  the  rules  which 
he  has  given  us  in  liis  Hints  are  the  same,  in 
substance,  which  I  was  forced  to  adopt  more  than 


222  LIFE    OF    MILLER, 

twenty  years  ago,  T  cannot  believe  that  Anti- 
oehus  Epiphanes  is  even  hinted  at  from  Daniel 
11 :14  to  the  end  of  the  12th  chapter.  And,  if 
the  prophecy  does  not  belong  to  Antiochus,  then 
he  must  acknowledge  that  the  little  horn  can  ap- 
ply only  to  the  papal  power;  and  must  agree 
with  nearly  all  Protestant  writers  that  '  time, 
times,  and  a  half,'  are,  together  with  the  other 
numbers  in  this  chapter,  to  be  understood  in  a 
symbolical  sense. 

"  In  writing,  he  sometimes  indulged  in  a  col- 
loquial style.  In  the  following  he  hints  at  an  ob- 
jection often  urged  against  him,  that  he,  being 
a  farmer,  should  not  presume  to  teach.  He 
says : — 

"As  it  was  in  the  days  of  Noah,  so  shall  it  he 
in  the  days  of  the  8on  of  man.  They  were  eat- 
ing and  drinking,  marrying  and  giving  in  mar- 
riage, until  Noah  entered  into  the  ark.  Methinks 
I  can  almost  see  the  scenes  of  that  day.  See 
you  not  that  elegant  building  yonder,  near  that 
ark  of  gopher- wood  ?  That  building  was  reared 
at  a  great  expense,  by  the  host,  for  the  purpose 
of  entertaining  strangers  who  might  come  to 
visit  that  ark,  and  to  ridicule  and  laugh  at  that 
old,  white-headed  man  you  see  yonder  pitching 
the  ark.  The  host,  you  see,  has  become  rich  by 
the  great  gain  he  has  made,  from  the  furnishing 
of  the  workmen,  citizens  and  strangers,  with 
food  and  drink  of  the  most  costly  kind.  Look 
into  the  dining  hall  of  that  establishment.  See 
the  table  loaded  with  all  the  delicate  viands  of  the 
season.  See  those  bottles  filled  with  the  spark- 
ling juice  of  the  grape.  See  the  host  at  his 
door,  beckoning  to  each  passer-by  to  enter  and 
regale  himself.     Hear  the  conversation  between 


SPECIMEN    OF    HIS    PREACHING.  223 

the  host  and  the  stranger  guest  who  has  just  en- 
tered his  mansion. 

"Guest.  What  great  building  is  that  in 
yonder  field,  on  that  eminence  ? 

"  Host.     That  is  called  Noah's  ark. 

"  Guest.  But  what  use  is  he  going  to  put 
it  to  ?  It  seems  to  be  built  for  sailing.  Surely  the 
old  man  does  not  expect  to  sail  on  dry  land. 

"  Host.  Yes ;  you  are  right.  The  old  man 
says  the  world  is  coming  to  an  end  (Gen.  6  :  13), 
and  he  has  prepared  an  ark  to  save  himself  and 
family  ;  for  all  flesh  will  be  destroyed  by  water, 
as  he  says. 

"  Guest.     But  how  does  he  know  this  ? 

"  Host.     He  says  God  told  him. 

"  Guest.  What  kind  of  a  man  is  he  ?  He 
must  be  a  great  fanatic,  I  am  thinking. 

"  Host.  Why,  yes  ;  we  think  he  is  crazy  a  lit- 
tle ;  but  you  cannot  discover  it  in  anything  else 
but  his  building  that  great  ark,  and  neglecting 
his  farm  and  other  worldly  matters.  But  what 
he  has  lost  I  have  gained. 

"  Guest.  A  farmer,  say  you  ? — a  farmer  !  Why 
did  not  God  tell  some  of  our  '  mighty  men,  which 
are  men  of  renown'?  (Gen.  6:4.)  A  farmer, 
too  !  There  is  no  truth  in  it.  But  do  any  be- 
lieve him  ? 

"  Host.  Believe  him !  No.  We  have  other 
things  to  attend  to,  and  cannot  spend  time  to 
hear  the  old  farmer.  But  we  were  all  very  much 
startled,  no  longer  ago  than  yesterday ;  for  the 
old  man  has  been  telling  some  that  he  had  pre- 
pared rooms  for  the  beasts  of  the  field,  and  for 
the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  every  creeping  thing; 
and  yesterday  they  came,  two  and  two  of  ever}'- 
sort,   and  entered  the  ark,  apparently  of  their 


224  '  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

own  accord.  (Gen.  7  :  8,  9.)  This,  you  may  be 
sure,  startled  us  some  ;  but  the  banquets  and 
feasts  of  last  night  have  dissipated  the  fears  of 
all,  and  to-day  things  are  as  they  should  be. 

"  Gup.d.  It  is  rather  strange ;  yet  it  cannot  be 
true.  God  will  not  destroy  the  world  in  the 
midst  of  this  hilarity  and  glee,  and  in  the  hight 
of  all  these  improvements  at  the  present  day. 
Much,  much  of  the  earth  remains  yet  to  be  culti- 
vated and  inhabited.  Our  western  wilderness  is 
yet  to  be  explored  and  settled.  Then  the  world 
is  yet  in  its  infancy — not  two  thousand  years  old 
yet ;  and  you  know  we  have  a  tradition  that  the 
earth  is  to  wax  old  like  a  garment.  It  cannot  be 
true,  what  the  old  man  tells  you.  I  will  war- 
rant you  the  earth  will  stand  many  thousand 
years  yet. 

"  Host.  Look  !  look  !  there  goes  the  old  fool 
and  his  family  now,  I  dare  say,  into  the  ark.  I 
remember  mc  now,  the  old  man  told  us,  four  days 
ago,  that,  in  seven  days  (Gen.  7  :  4-10),  God  would 
cause  it  to  rain  sufficient  to  destroy  every  living 
thing  from  the  face  of  the  earth.  I  shall  have  a 
chance  to  laugh  at  the  old  man  four  days  hence. 
I  told  him  to  his  face  that,  after  his  seven  days 
were  ended,  he  would  be  ashamed  to  preach  any 
more,  and  we  should  have  some  quiet  then. 

"  Guest.  But  do  your  priests  let  him  preach 
in  their  congregations  and  societies  ? 

"  Host.  Oh,  no  !  by  no  means  ;  that  is,  none 
that  are  called  respectable,  or  of  the  higher  class. 
Why,  sir,  they  held  a  meeting  last  night  at  my 
banqueting  house.  After  the  cloth  was  removed, 
and  while  the  wine  was  circulating  freely,  old 
Noah  was  the  subject  of  the  toast.  And  it  would 
have  done  you  good  to  have  heard  their  sharp 


SPECIMEN    OF    HIS    PREACHIXG.  225 

outs  and  squibs ;  it  caused  a  roar  of  laughter 
among  the  guests.  See,  yonder  come  some  of 
them  now.  Let  us  go  in,  and  enjoy  another 
treat.     {Tliey  go  in.) 

"Ah,  said  I,  were  these  scenes  acted  before  the 
flood,  and  will  it  be  so  in  the  end  of  the  world  ? 
And  will  the  generation  of  the  righteous  not  pass 
off  until  they  behold  these  things  acted  over 
again?  So  says  our  blessed  Saviour,  and  so  I 
believe. 

"Then  shall  'heaven  and  earth  pass  away.' 
The  righteous  will  pass  off  to  meet  their  Lord, 
and  the  wicked  be  consumed  to  cleanse  the  world. 
Then  will  the  prophecy  in  this  chapter  be  ful- 
filled, and  *  the  word  of  God  will  not  pass  away.' 

"Prepare,  ye  servants  of  the  Most  High,  to 
render  up  your  stewardship.  Ye  scoffers,  take 
warning ;  cease  your  revilings,  your  newspaper 
squibs,  your  bombast,  your  revelings,  and  your 
banquetings.  And  you,  my  dear  reader,  prepare  ! 
prepare  !  for  lo  I — 

'  He  comes,  he  comes,  the  Judge  severe  ; 
The  seventh  trumpet  speaks  him  near.'" 

"  The  foregoing  will  also  serve  as  a  specimen 
of  his  mode,  at  times,  of  addressing  an  audience. 
At  other  times  he  was  very  earnest  and  solemn. 
In  arguing  that  we  must  be  beyond  the  end  of 
the  1260  days  of  Daniel  and  John,  from  the  fact 
that  the  church  is  not  now  in  the  wilderness,  he 
said : — 

" '  Can  we  be  mistaken  in  the  fulfillment  of 
this  prophecy  ?  Is  the  church  now  in  the  wil- 
derness ?  And  if  you  should  respond,  She  is,  I 
ask  you.  When,  then,  was  she  out  ?     Not  in  the 

Miller.  lo 


226  LIFE    OF   MILI-EK. 

apostolic  age ;  for  she  was  not  more  free  then 
than  now.  And  then,  let  me  inquire,  where  are 
your  twelve  hundred  and  sixty  years  ?  They 
can  have  no  meanins:.  O  Christian!  I  beer  of 
you,  believe  in  the  word  of  God ;  do  not,  I  pray 
you,  discard  time,  any  more  than  manner.  Is  it 
not  selfishness  in  us  to  discard  the  set  times  which 
God  has  fixed,  and  not  man  ?  Where  is  our 
faith  ?  Why  are  we  so  slow  of  heart  to  believe  ? 
Three  times  we  have  witnessed, — yes,  in  the  life- 
time of  some  of  us, — the  fulfillment  of  the  "  time, 
times,  and  a  half,"  in  the  accomplishment  of  the 
"  forty-two  months,"  in  the  completion  of  the 
"  twelve-hundred  and  three-score  days,"  and  yet, 
O  God,  we  refuse  to  believe !  Shame  on  that 
professor  who  will  not  open  his  eyes  ! 

" '  They  tell  us  we  cannot  understand  prophecy 
until  it  is  fulfilled. 

"  '  But  here  it  is  three  times  fulfilled  in  this  day 
in  which  we  live.  What  excuse  have  you  now, 
0  ye  heralds  of  the  cross  ?  Ah  !  say  you,  that  is 
your  construction ;  we  are  not  bound  to  follow 
your  explanations.  No,  no !  But  for  ages  you 
and  your  fathers  have  been  telling  us  that  these 
prophecies  were  true  ;  and  you  have  told  us  that 
when  they  come  to  pass  we  should  know  what 
they  meant;  and,  although  ages  on  ages  have 
rolled  their  rapid  course,  yet  nothing  has  tran- 
spired, as  you  will  own ;  and  we,  if  we  should 
search,  and  find,  as  we  believe,  the  prophecies 
fulfilling,  and  tell  our  reasons,  you  then  can  taunt 
us  with  a  skeptic  argument, — "  this  is  your  con- 
struction," and  then  not  dare  to  tell  us  what  it 
means  !  Awake,  awake,  ye  shepherds  of  the 
flock !  Come,  tell  us  why  these  things  are  not 
fulfilled.     Deceive  us  not.     You  stand  upon  the 


SPECIMENS    OF    HIS    rREACIIIXG.  227 

walls,  both  night  and  day  ;  then  tell  us  what  it 
means.  We  have  a  right  to  ask,  "  Watchman, 
what  of  the  night  ?  Watchman,  what  of  the 
night  ?"  An  answer  we  must  have ;  or  you  must 
leave  your  towers.  It  will  not  do  to  answer  us, 
"I  am  under  no  obligation  to  tell  you."*  Has 
Zion  no  better  watchmen  on  her  walls  than  this  ? 
Alas  !  alas !  then  we  may  sleep,  and  sleep,  un- 
til the  trumpet's  dreadful  blast  shall  shake  our 
dusty  beds,  and  the  last  angel  raise  his  hand  and 
swear  "  that  time  shall  be  no  longer."  Why  are 
you  thus  negligent  and  remiss  in  duty  ?  If  I  am 
not  right  in  my  construction  of  God's  holy  word, 
pray  tell  us  what  is  truth,  and  make  it  look  more 
plain,— and  will  we  not  believe  ?  Thus  you  will 
cleanse  your  garments  from  our  blood,  and  we 
must  bear  the  shame.  What  time  of  night  ? 
Come,  tell  us  plainly.  There  are  portentous 
clouds  hanging  over  our  heads  ;  we  hear  the 
murmurs  of  the  fitful  winds ;  we  see  sad  omens 
of  a  dreadful  storm ;  and  where  is  our  watch- 
man's voice  ?  Your  silence  gives  us  feara 
that  we  are  betrayed.  Awake !  awake  !  Ye 
watchmen,  to  your  post !  It  is  no  false  alarm. 
There  are  judgments,  heavy  judgments,  at  the 
door.  "  Our  God  shall  come,  and  shall  not  keep 
silence ;  a  fire  shall  devour  before  him,  and  it 
shall  be  very  tempestuous  round  about  him.  He 
shall  call  to  the  heavens  from  above,  and  to  the 
earth,  that  he  may  judge  his  people."  How  shall 
the  fearful  stand  in  that  great  day,  when  heaven 
and  earth  shall  hear  his  mighty  voice,  and  they 
that  hear  must  come  to  judgment  ?  Where  will 
the  unbelieving  scofi^'er  then  appear  ?     When  God 

*Dowling's  Reply  to  Miller. 


228  LIFE    OF   MILLEn. 

makes  inquisition  for  the  blood  of  souls,  and  wlien 
the  under-shepherds  stand,  with  their  flocks, 
around  the  "  great  white  throne,"  to  have  each 
motive,  thought,  word,  act,  and  deed,  brought  out 
to  light,  before  a  gazing  world,  and  tried  by  that 
unerring  rule,  "the  word."  I  ask  you,  scorner, 
jester,  scoffer,  how  will  you  appear  ?  Stop,  stop, 
and  think,  before  you  take  a  fatal  leap,  and  jest 
away  your  soul !' 

"  In  closing  a  discourse  on  the  text,  '  We  shall 
reign  on  the  earth,'  he  thus  proceeds : — 

" '  We  shall  reign  on  the  earth,  says  our  text. 
Not  under  its  present  dispensation,  but  after  it  is 
cleansed  by  fire ;  after  the  wicked  are  destroyed 
by  fire,  as  the  antediluvians  were  by  water ;  after 
the  resurrection  of  the  saints,  and  when  Christ's 
prayer,  tauo;ht  to  his  disciples,  shall  be  answered, 
"  Thy  tuill  he  done  on  earth,  even  as  in  Heaven." 
When  the  bride  has  made  herself  ready,  and  is 
married  to  the  Bridegroom,  he  will  then  move 
her  into  the  New  Jerusalem  state,  prepared  as  a 
bride  adorned  for  her  husband,  where  we  shall 
reign  with  him  forever  and  ever,  on  the  new 
earth  and  in  the  new  heavens.  "And  God  shall 
wipe  away  all  tears  from  their  eyes,  and  there 
shall  be  no  more  death,  neither  sorrow  nor  cry- 
ing, neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain ;  for 
the  former  things  are  passed  away."  Then  the 
whole  earth  "  shall  be  full  of  his  glory ;"  and  then, 
as  says  the  prophet,  Isaiah  54:5,  "For  thy  Maker 
is  thine  husband ;  the  Lord  of  Hosts  is  his  name ; 
and  thy  Redeemer,  the  Holy  One  of  Israel ;  the 
God  of  the  whole  earth  shall  he  be  called." 

" '  And  then,  my  dear  hearer,  if  you  have  had 
your  heart  broken  off  from  sin ;  if  you  have  by 


SPECIMENS    OF    HIS    PREACHING.  229 

faith  been  united  in  spirit  to  the  Lamb  of  God ; 
if  you  have  patiently  endured  tribulation  and 
persecution  for  his  name, — then  you  will  live  and 
reign  with  him  on  the  earth,  and  this  earth  will 
be  regenerated  by  fire  and  the  power  of  God ; 
the  curse  destroyed;  sin,  pain,  crying,  sorrow, 
and  death,  banished  from  the  world,  and  mortali- 
ty clothed  upon  by  immortality,  death  swallowed 
up  in  victory.  You  will  rise  up  in  that  general 
assembly,  and,  clapping  your  hands  with  joy, 
cry,  "  Holy,  holy,  holy  is  the  Lord  God  Almighty, 
which  was,  and  is,  and  is  noiv  come."  Then  you 
will  be  in  a  situation  to  join  the  grand  chorus, 
and  sing  the  new  song,  saying,  "  Thou  art  worthy, 
for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God 
by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue, 
and  people,  and  nation,  and  hast  made  us  unto 
our  God  kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall  reign  on 
the  earth.  .  .  Saying,  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy 
is  the  Lamb  that  was  slain  to  receive  power,  and 
riches,  and  wisdom,  and  strength,  and  honor,  and 
glory,  and  blessing."  And  all  who  meet  in  that 
grand  assembly  will  be  then  heard  to  shout, 
"  Blessing,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  poM'^er,  be 
unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb  forever  and  ever."  And  methinks  I 
can  now  see  every  one  who  loves  our  Lord  and 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ  in  this  assembly  rising  upon 
their  feet,  and  in  one  united  prayer  of  faith,  cry- 
ing, "  Come,  Lord  Jesus,  0  come  quickly  !  " 

"  But  you,  O  impenitent  man  or  woman  !  where 
will  you  be  then  ?  When  heaven  shall  resound 
with  the  mighty  song,  and  distant  realms  shall 
echo  back  the  sound,  where,  tell  me,  where  will 
you  be  then?  In  hell!  0  think!  In  hell! 
—a  dreadful  word !    Once  more  think  !    Jn  hell ! 


230  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

lifting  up  your  eyes,  being  in  torment.  Stop,  sin- 
ner ;  think !  In  hell !  where  shall  be  weeping, 
wailing,  and  gnashing  of  teeth.  Stop,  sinner, 
stop ;  consider  on  your  latter  end.  In  hell  I 
"  where  the  beast  and  false  prophet  are,  and  shall 
be  tormented  day  and  night  forever  and  ever." 
I  entreat  of  you  to  think — in  hell !  I  know  you 
hate  to  hear  the  word.  It  sounds  too  harsh. 
There  is  no  music  in  it.  You  say  it  grates  upon 
the  ear.  But  think,  when  it  grates  upon  the  soul, 
the  conscience,  and  the  ear,  and  not  by  sound  on- 
ly, but  a  dread  reality,  when  there  can  be  no  res- 
pite, no  cessation,*  no  deliverance,  no  hope  !  You 
will  then  think, — yes,  of  this  warning,  of  a  thou- 
sand others,  perhaps  of  this  hour,  with  many 
more  that  are  lost, — yes,  worse  than  lost, — that 
have  been  squandered  in  earthly,  vain,  and  transi- 
tory mirth,  have  been  abused ;  for  there  have 
been  many  hours  the  Spirit  strove  with  you,  and 
you  prayed  to  be  excused.  There  was  an  hour 
when  conscience  spake ;  but  you  stopped  your 
ears  and  would  not  hear.  There  was  a  time  when 
judgment  and  reason  whispered  ;  but  you  soon 
drowned  their  cry  by  calling  in  some  aid  against 
your  own  soul.  To  judgment  and  reason  you 
have  opposed  will  and  luit,  and  said  "in  hell" 
was  only  i)i  the  grave.  In  this  vain  citadel,  in 
this  frail  house  of  sand,  you  will  build  until  the 


*It  will  be  evident  to  the  reader  that  Mr.  Miller  held  the  doc- 
trine of  endless  misery  in  a  local  hell  at  the  time  he  gave  this  dis- 
course. In  fact,  there  is  no  evidence  that  he  changed  his  views 
on  the  immortality  question  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His  writ- 
ings and  his  labors  give  evidence  that  his  mind  was  not  called 
to  the  investigation  of  the  subject,  it  being  fully  occupied  with 
the  great  second  advent  question.  The  discussion  of  the  immor- 
tality theme  among  the  Adventists  seems  to  have  been  left  to 
younger  men  ut  a  later  period.  J.  w. 


SPECIMENS   OF    HIS    PREACHING.  231 

last  seal  is  broken,  the  last  trump  will  sound,  the 
last  woe  be  pronounced,  and  the  last  vial  be 
poured  upon  the  earth.  Then,  impenitent  man 
or  woman,  you  will  awake  in  everlasting  woe  ! 

"  '  Be  warned ;  repent ;  fly,  fly  for  succor  to  the 
ark  of  God,  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lamb  that  once 
was  slain,  that  you  might  live ;  for  he  is  worthy 
to  receive  all  honor,  power,  and  glory.  Believe, 
and  you  shall  live.  Obey  his  word,  his  Spirit, 
his  calls,  his  invitations ;  there  is  no  time  for  de- 
lay ;  put  it  not  off",  I  beg  of  you, — no,  not  for  a 
moment.  Do  you  want  to  join  that  heavenly 
choir,  and  sing  the  iievj  song'?  Then  come  in 
God's  appointed  way ;  repent.  Do  you  want  a 
house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heav- 
ens ?  Then  join  in  heart  and  soul  this  happy 
people,  whose  God  is  the  Lord.  Do  you  want  an 
interest  in  the  New  Jerusalem,  the  beloved  city  ? 
Then  set  your  face  as  a  flint  Zionward ;  become 
a  pilgrim  in  the  good  old  way.  "  Seek  first  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven,"  says  Christ,  "  and  then  all 
these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you." ' 

"  At  other  times  his  discourse  was  of  the  most 
mild  and  gentle  kind.  Thus,  in  speaking  of  the 
church  of  Christ  under  various  circumstances, 
he  says  : — 

" '  In  tracing  her  history  from  the  patriarch 
Abraham  to  the  present  day,  we  find  her  variable 
as  the  wind,  and  changeable  as  the  weather. 

"  '  To-day,  she  is  coming  up  out  of  the  wilder- 
ness leaning  on  the  arm  of  her  Beloved ;  to- 
morrow, "like  a  young  roe  leaping  upon  the 
mountains,  and  skipping  upon  the  hills." 

" '  Now  she  is   seen   amons:  the   trees  of  the 


232  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

woods ;  next  in  a  palace  of  silver  inclosed  in 
boards  of  cedar. 

" '  There  we  saw  her  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock ; 
here  we  behold  her  in  the  broad  way,  in  the 
streets  of  the  great  city. 

" '  Again  we  find  her  among  the  foxes  of  the 
desert ;  and  anon  we  perceive  her  seeking  Him 
whom  her  soul  loveth. 

" '  She  is  asleep  on  her  bed  by  night ;  and  the 
same  night  the  watch  finds  her  in  the  city. 

" '  Behold  her  Lord  knocking  at  the  door  for 
admittance,  while  she  is  too  indolent  to  arise  and 
let  him  in.  The  next  moment  she  is  opening  to 
her  Beloved,  but  he  has  withdrawn  himself.  At 
one  time  the  voice  of  her  Beloved,  sounding  over 
the  hills  and  echoing  among  the  mountains  like 
the  roar  of  distant  thunder,  has  no  impression ; 
next,  the  soft  whisper  of  love  gains  all  her  atten- 
tion, 

" '  Here  blows  the  rough  north  wind  and 
strong  south  wind  upon  her  spices,  yet  they  put 
forth  no  fragrance.  And  there  the  lightest 
breeze  makes  her  roses  blossom,  and  all  the  air 
is  perfume. 

"  '  See  her  countenance  to-day  black  as  the 
tents  of  Kedar;  and  to-morrow  comely  as  the 
daughters  of  Jerusalem,  and  fair  as  the  purple 
curtains  of  Solomon.  To-  day  she  is  "  a  garden 
barred,  a  spring  shut  up,  a  fountain  sealed  ;  "  to- 
morrow, "  a  garden  open,  a  well  of  living  waters, 
and  streams  from  Lebanon."  Now  she  is  weak 
as  a  babe ;  a  single  watchman  can  "  smite,  wound, 
and  take  away  her  veil ; "  and  then  she  is  coura- 
geous and  valiant,  "  terrible  as  an  army  with 
banners."  To-day  she  is  made  to  keep  another's 
vineyard  ;  to-morrow  she  is  realizing  a  thousand 


SPECIMENS    OF    HIS    PREACHING.  233 

pieces  of  silver  from  her  own.  She  is  truly  a 
changeable  being,  carried  about  by  the  slightest 
circumstances." ' 

"  The  follov.'ing  extract  from  a  discourse,  is  an- 
other specimen  of  this  mode  of  address  : — 

"^'  Come,  and  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord  ;  for  he  hath 
torn,  and  he  will  heal  us  ;  he  hath  smitten,  and  lie  will  bind 
us  up.  After  two  days  will  he  revive  us  ;  in  the  third  day 
he  will  raise  us  up,  and  we  shall  live  in  his  sight.  Then 
shall  we  know,  if  we  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord;  his  going 
forth  is  prepared  as  the  morning  ;  and  he  shall  come  unto  us 
as  the  rain,  as  the  latter  and  former  rain  unto  the  earth.' 
Hosea  6:  1-3. 

'■  'The  text  to  which  I  have  directed  your  at- 
tention, in  the  above  paragraph,  is  one  of  the 
richest  and  most  interesting  prophecies  that  was 
ever  delivered  to  mortals  by  any  prophet  since 
the  world  began.  Every  word  speaks,  and  is 
full  of  meaning ;  every  sentence  is  a  volume  of 
instruction.  No  wisdom  of  man  could  communi- 
cate as  much  in  as  few  words.  It  is  a  pearl  of 
great  price,  lying  deep  in  the  waters  of  prophecy  ; 
it  is  a  diamond,  which  will  cut  the  film  that  cov- 
ers the  visual  organ  of  the  readers  of  God's  word  ; 
it  is  a  gem  in  the  mountain  of  God's  house,  shin- 
ing in  the  darkness,  and  the  darkness  comprehend- 
eth  it  not.  It  puzzled  the  Pharisee,  confounded 
the  scribe,  and  perplexed  the  Sadducee.  It  has, 
and  will  continue  to  have,  the  same  influence  on 
similar  characters  until  the  end  of  time.  The 
great  men  of  the  earth  will  not  stoop  to  its  light, 
because  it  lies  too  low.  The  small  men  of  the 
earth  will  not  pick  it  up,  for  fear  of  ridicule  from 
those  above  them.  And  now,  dear  reader,  I  am 
afraid  you  will  go  and  do  likewise, — either  treat 


234  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

it  with  contempt  or  ridicule.  But  you  will  find, 
if  you  will  examine,  that  in  it  is  contained, — 

" '  1.  Our  duty  to  God. 

" '  Come,  let  us  return  unto  the  Lord ; '  and, 
'  If  ive  folloiu  on  to  know  the  Lord.'  Here  is  the 
whole  duty  of  man,  as  clearly  described  as  any 
crystal  could  make  it.  Repent,  believe,  and  obey, 
are  clearly  inculcated.  What  better  words  could 
an  orator  make  use  of,  to  excite  the  minds  of 
men  to  noble  deeds  of  daring  than  are  here  used 
by  the  prophet  ?  '  Come — he  invites — '  let  us' 
— he  will  go  with  them — '  return.'  Ah  !  what  a 
word — return !  Traveler,  have  you  ever  wan- 
dered far  from  home,  in  a  cold,  unfeeling  world, 
among  strangers,  among  robbers,  enemies,  thieves, 
and  hard-hearted  worldlings  ?  Have  you  been 
sick  and  weak,  wounded  and  torn,  spoiled  and 
robbed,  smitten  and  cheated,  hated  and  reviled, 
and  this,  too,  for  days,  months,  or  years  ? 
Have  you  at  last  '  returned '  to  your  family, 
your  friends,  your  native  land  ?  Do  you  remem- 
ber those  familiar  objects,  as  you  returned — the 
way,  the  mountain,  the  hill,  the  valley,  and  the 
plain ;  the  grove,  the  turn,  the  house,  and  the 
brook  ?  Do  you  remember  the  tree,  the  rock,  the 
barberry-bush,  the  gate  and  the  post,  the  door- 
way and  latch  ?  "  Oh,  yes,  "  say  you  ;  "  I  remem- 
ber, too,  my  beating  and  palpitating  heart,  and 
the  falling  tear  which  I  stopped  to  wipe  away 
from  my  blanched  cheek,  while  my  hand  was  on 
the  latch.  I  remember  how  I  listened  to  hear 
the  loved  ones  breathe,  although  it  was  then  in 
the  dark  watches  of  the  niofht." 

'•'  Thus  tells  the  wanderer  the  tale  of  his  '  re- 
turn;' and  in  like  manner  could  all  the  wander- 
ing sons  of  Zion  speak  of  their  '  return.'    You, 


SPECIMENS   OF    HIS   PREACHING,  235 

then,  who  have  experienced  these  things,  can 
realize  the  value  of  the  word  'return!  And 
from  my  soul  I  pity  the  wanderer  that  never  has 
returned  'unto  the  Lord;  to  Him  that  loved  us, 
to  Him  who  died  for  us  ;  more,  vastly  more,  than 
mortal  friends  could  ever  do — he  died.  And  so, 
say  you,  can  fathers  die  for  children,  and  mothers 
for  their  sons ;  children  can  give  their  lives, 
though  rare  the  gift,  to  save  the  life  of  parents ; 
husbands,  and  wives,  and  friends  have  fallen,  to 
save  each  other  from  death.  All  this  is  true. 
But  here  is  love  greater  than  these ;  '  for  while 
we  were  enemies  Christ  died  for  us.'  Yea,  more  : 
he  left  his  Father's  presence,  his  glory,  and  that 
Heaven  where  angels  dwell ;  where  he,  the  bright- 
est star  in  all  the  upper  world,  stood  highest ; 
where  seraphim  and  cherubim  in  glory  cast  down 
their  crowns,  and  worshiped  at  his  feet.  '  He 
became  poor,  that  we  through  his  poverty  might 
be  made  rich.'  Again :  he  bore  our  shame,  and 
by  his  stripes  we  are  healed.  He  was  buffeted 
for  our  offenses,  and  despised  by  mortals,  for 
whom  he  suffered  in  the  flesh.  He  rose  from 
death  for  our  justification,  and  ascended  on  high, 
to  intercede  for  sinners,  and  has  sent  down  his 
Spirit  to  bring  us  wanderers  home. 

"  '  For  he  hath  torn.'  True,  he  suffers  our  sins 
to  tear  us,  and  those  earthly  powers,  in  whom  we 
trust,  to  break  our  proud  hearts,  and,  therefore, 
tears  away  our  vain  supports.  He  tears  our 
affections  from  earthly  things,  that  he  may  place 
them  on  a  more  enduring  substance.  He  tears 
our  hearts  from  idol  gods,  that  he  may  place 
them  on  God  supreme.  He  tears  our  soul  from 
the  body,  that  we  may  no  longer  live  in  the  flesh 
to  sin,  but  depart  in  the  sph-it,  and  Ije  with  C/hrist. 


236  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

"'And  lie  luill  heal  us!  Yes,  he  will  ^heal  us 
from  all  our  backslidings,  and  love  us  freely  for 
his  own  name's  sake.  He  will  heal  us  from  sin, 
by  showing  us  its'deadly  nature.  He  will  heal 
us  from  worldly  affections,  by  placing  our  affec- 
tions in  Heaven.  He  will  heal  our  hearts  of  idol- 
atry, by  the  taking  possession  of  them  himself 
He  will  heal  us  from  death,  by  the  resurrection 
from  the  grave. 

"'He  hath  smitten!  God  has  so  ordered,  in 
his  providence,  that  his  children  cannot  have  in- 
tercourse and  association  with  men  of  the  world, 
and  with  the  kingdoms  of  this  earth,  but  that 
persecution,  or  loss  of  Christian  character,  is  sure 
to  follow.  The  prophet  is  showing  the  present 
state  of  the  church,  while  the  tares  and  wheat 
are  growing  together.  The  children  of  God  shall 
be  smitten — meaning  they  shall  be  chastised,  per- 
secuted, ruled  over.  See  the  Roman  power, 
from  the  days  of  their  connection  with  the  Jews 
until  the  present  time,  ruling  over,  persecuting, 
and  trampling  under  foot  the  church  of  God. 
Our  text  is  not  only  showing  us  our  duty  to 
God,  but  it  teaches  us  the  sufferings  of  the  church, 
the  dealings  of  God  with  her,  and  her  final  re- 
demption; the  first  and  second  coming  of  her 
Lord  ;  her  final  deliverance  from  death  and  all 
enemies,  and  her  glorified  reign. 

"  'And  he  ivill  bind  us  up  :'  which  is  a  prom- 
ise of  God,  that,  although  the  church  should  be 
torn  and  smitten,  yet  he  would  heal  them,  and 
bind  them  up.  In  due  time  he  would  gather 
them  into  one  fold ;  he  would  bind  up  all  their 
wounds,  and  heal  them  of  all  their  maladies. 
He  would  visit  their  transgressions  with  a  rod. 


SPECIMENS   OF   HIS    PREACHING.  237 

and  their  ini(|iuties  with  stripes ;  but  his  loving 
kindness  he  would  not  take  from  them. 

"An  extract  from  his  lecture  on  the  parable  of 
the  '  ten  virgins,'  will  close  these  specimens.  He 
thus  gives  his  understanding  of  what  is  denoted 
by  their  '  trimming '  their  lamps  : — 

"  '  The  world,  for  a  number  of  years,  have  been 
trimming  their  lamps,  and  the  wise  and  foolish 
have  been  engaged  in  translating  the  word  of 
God  into  almost  every  language  known  to  us  up- 
on the  earth.     Mr.  Judson  tells  us  that  it  has 
been  translated  into  one  hundred  and  fifty  lan- 
guages within  thirty  years ;    that  is  three  times 
the  number  of  all  the  translations  known  to  us 
before.     Then  fourfold  light  has  been  shed  among 
the  nations,  within  the  short  period  of  the  time 
above  specified  ;  and  we  are  informed  that  a  part, 
if  not  all,  of  the  word  of  God  is  now  given  to 
all  nations  in  their  own  language.     This,  surely, 
is  setting  the  word  of  life  in  a  conspicuous  situa- 
tion, that  it  may  give  light  to  all  in  the  world. 
This  has  not  been  done  by  the  exertions  of  Chris- 
tians or  professors  only,  but  by  the  aid  of  all 
classes  and  societies  of  men.     Kings  have  opened 
their  coffers  and  favored  those  engaged  in  the 
work ;  nobles  have  used  their  influence,  and  have 
cast  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord  of  their  abun- 
dance ;  rich  men  have  bestowed  of  their  riches ; 
and,  in  many  cases,  the  miser  has  forgotten  his 
parsimony,  the  poor  have  replenished  the  funds 
of  the  Lord's  house,  and  the  wddow  has  cast  in 
her  mite.     How  easy  to  work  the  work  of  the 
Lord  when  the  hearts  of  men  are  made  willing 
by  his  power  ! 

" '  But  shall  we  forget  those  who  have  forsaken 
the  land  of  their  fathers,  the  home  of  their  nativ- 


238  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

ity,  and  have  spent  lonesome  years  of  toil  among 
strangers, — yes,  worse  than  strangers, — among 
heathen  idolaters,  and  the  savages  of  the  wilder- 
ness, in  the  cold  regions  of  the  north,  and  under 
the  scorching  rays  of  a  vertical  sun,  among  the 
suffocating  sands  of  the  desert,  or  in  the  pestilen- 
tial atmosphere  of  India  ;  who  have  risked  their 
lives  to  learn  a  language,  and  prepare  themselves 
to  trim  a  lamp  for  those  who  sit  in  darkness  and 
the  shadow  of  death  ?  No,  we  will  not  forget 
them;  the  prayers  of  thousands  have  ascended 
before  the  golden  altar,  morning  and  evening,  on 
their  behalf,  and  Israel's  God  has  been  their  pro- 
tector. Surely  we  may  hope  that  these  have  oil 
in  their  lamps,  M^ho  have  sacrificed  so  much  to 
bestow  a  lamp  upon  others.  But  remember,  my 
brethren,  the  Lord  he  is  God,  and  let  him  have 
all  the  glory.  This  is  the  time,  and  the  same 
time  that  Gabriel  informed  Daniel,  '  Many  should 
run  to  and  fro,  and  knowledge  should  increase.' 
This,  too,  is  the  same  time  when  the  angel  flying 
through  the  midst  of  heaven  had  the  everlasting 
gospel  to  preach  to  them  who  dwelt  upon  the 
earth.  Here  are  Christ's  words  fulfilled  where 
he  says,  "  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom  shall 
be  preached  in  all  the  world  for  a  witness  unto 
all  nations ;  and  then  shall  the  end  come." 

" '  2d.  It  is  plain,  to  any  diligent  observer 
of  the  signs  of  the  times,  that  all  the  societies  for 
moral  reform  in  our  world  at  the  present  day  are 
parts  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  parable,  giving 
more  light.  What  of  our  Bible  societies  ?  Are 
not  these  trimming  the  lamp  for  millions  of  hu- 
man beings  ?  Thirty  years  past,  more  than  three- 
fourths  of  the  families  in  what  we  call  Christian 
lands  were  without  the  lamp  of  life,  and  now 


SPECIMENS    OF    HIS    rREACIIING.  239 

nearly  all  are  supplied.  Many  of  those  whu  sat 
in  heathenish  darkness  then  are  now  rejoicing  in 
the  light  of  God's  book.  And  much  of  this  has 
been  performed  through  the  instrumentality  of 
Bible  societies ;  and  not  only  through  the  agency 
of  the  church,  but  political  men,  men  of  the  world, 
the  great  men,  merchants  of  the  earth,  and  those 
who  trade  in  ships,  all  who  live  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  gospel, — the  '  kingdom  of  Heaven, — 
have  engagred  in  the  work.  Will  not  the  most 
skeptical  acknowledge  that  this  society  has  suc- 
ceeded beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectation  of 
its  most  ardent  advocates  ?  And  is  not  this 
strong  circumstantial  evidence  that  the  Bride- 
groom  is  near,  even  at  the  door  ? 

"  '  od.  The  missionary  societies,  of  all  sects  and 
denominations,  which  have  been  established  with- 
in forty  years,  have  as  far  exceeded  all  former 
exertions  of  this  kind  as  the  overflowing  Nile 
does  the  waters  of  the  brook  Kidron.  See  the 
missionary  spirit  extending  from  east  to  west, 
and  from  north  to  south,  warming  the  breast  of 
the  philanthropist,  giving  life  and  vigor  to  the 
cold-hearted  moralist,  and  animating  and  enliven- 
ing the  social  circle  of  the  pious  devotee.  Every 
nation  from  India  to  Oregon,  from  Kamtschatka 
to  New  Zealand,  has  been  visited  by  these  wise 
servants  (as  we  hope)  of  the  cross,  proclaiming 
the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord,  and  the  dai/  of 
vengeance  of  our  God,  carrying  the  lamp,  the 
word  of  God,  in  their  hands,  and  oil,  faith  in  God, 
in  their  hearts.  All  classes  of  men  are  engaged 
in  this  cause,  from  the  gray  hairs  of  old  age  down 
to  the  sprightly  youth  of  ten  years.  Who,  then, 
can  doubt  but  that  the  virgins,  in  this  sense,  have 
and  are  trimming  their  lamps,  and  the  bride  is 


240  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

making  herself  ready  ?     Go  ye  out  to  meet  him. 

" '  4th.  The  Sabbath-schools  and  Bible-classes 
are  but  a  part  of  the  fulfillment  of  the  parable, 
yet  clearly  an  evidence  that  the  virgins  are  now 
trimming  their  lamps.  This  .system  of  teaching 
the  young  and  ignorant  took  its  rise  between 
forty  and  fifty  years  since,  at  the  very  time  that 
the  Christian  world  were  praying,  and  ardently 
praying,  for  the  coming  of  Christ,  before  that  part 
of  the  Saviour's  prayer  was  forgotten,  "  Thy 
kingdom  come."  From  a  little  fountain  this 
stream  of  water  has  become  a  great  river,  and 
encompassed  the  whole  land.  Every  quarter  of 
the  globe  is  drinking  at  this  fountain  or  stream 
of  knowledge,  and  the  youth  are  taught  to  trim 
their  lamps.  And  when  the  Bridegroom  shall 
come,  may  we  not  reasonably  hope  that  the  thou- 
sands of  the  young  men  and  young  women,  who 
have  assisted  in  giving  light  to  others,  may  be 
found  having  oil  in  their  vessels,  and  their  lamps 
trimmed  and  burning,  and  they  looking  and  wait- 
ing for  the  coming  of  their  Master,  that  when  he 
comes  they  may  rise  to  meet  him  in  the  air,  with 
ten  thousand  of  their  pupils,  who  will  sing  the 
new  song  in  the  New  Jerusalem  forever  and  ever  ? 
Search  diligently,  my  young  friends,  and  see  to 
it  that  ye  believe  in  this  word,  which  is  able  to 
make  you  wise  unto  salvation. 

"'5th.  Tract  societies  are  of  much  use,  and 
are  an  efficient  means  to  help  to  trim  the  lamps. 
Like  snuffers  that  take  away  the  preventives  to 
the  light,  so  are  tracts.  They  take  away  from 
the  mind  the  prejudice  that  thousands  have 
against  reading  the  word  of  God ;  they  remove 
those  rooted  and  groundless  opinions,  which 
many  have,  that  they  cannot  understand  the  Bi- 


BPECIMENS    OF    HIS    PREACHING.  2il 

ble ;  they  serve  to  excite  the  mind  to  this  kind 
of  reading ;  they  enlighten  the  understanding  in 
some  scriptural  truths ;  tbey  are  pioneers,  in 
many  instances,  to  conversion ;  they  can  be  sent 
where  the  vrord  of  God  cannot  at  first  be  re- 
ceived ;  in  one  word,  they  are  the  harbingers  of 
light,  the  forerunners  of  the  Bible.  And  in  this, 
too,  all  men  in  this  probationary  state  seem  to  be 
more  or  less  engaged,  from  the  king  on  the 
throne,  down  to  the  poor  peasant  in  the  cottage, 
writing,  printing,  folding,  transporting,  paying, 
or  readintif,  those  silent  little  messenfjers  of  the 
virgins'  lamp.  '  Then  all  those  virgins  arose  and 
trimmed  their  lamps.'  Has  not  God's  hand  been 
seen  in  all  this  ?  And  glory  be  to  Him  who  hath 
disposed  the  hearts  of  men  to  work  the  work 
that  God  bids  them,  and  to  fulfill  the  blessed 
word  which  he  hath  given  them.  This  institu- 
tion took  its  rise  about  the  same  time  with  the 
Bible  society. 

" '  Gth,  Temperance  societies.  These  serve  one 
purpose  in  trimming  the  lamps  and  preparing 
the  way  for  the  virgins  to  go  out  and  meet  the 
Bridegroom.  Our  world,  twenty  years  ago, 
might  be  called  a  world  of  fashionable  drunkards  ; 
almost  all  men  drank  of  the  intoxicating  bowl, 
and  thought  it  no  harm.  But  when  the  lamp  be- 
gan to  dart  its  raj^s  around  our  tabernacles,  it 
was  found  by  wofiil  experience  that  those  who 
drank  of  the  poisonous  cup  were  totally  and 
wholly  unprepared  to  receive  the  warning  voice, 
or  to  hear  the  midnight  cry,  "  Behold,  the  Bride- 
groom Cometh  !"  No,  "  they  that  were  drunken 
v/ere  drunken  in  the  night,"  says  the  apostle. 
"Therefore   let  us  watch   and  be    sober."     And 

ililler.  1 6 


243  T'IFE    OF    MILLER. 

Peter  tells  us,  "  But  the  end  of  all  things  is  at 
hand ;  be  ye  therefore  sober,  and  watch  unto 
prayer."  How  foolish  would  it  have  been  for 
a  drunken  man  to  be  set  on  a  watch,  or  a  pray- 
ing man  to  be  found  drunk  !  Therefore,  in  order 
that  men  might  be  in  a  suitable  frame  of  mind  to 
receive  instruction  at  the  close  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, and  be  in  a  situation  to  listen  to  the  mid- 
night cry,  God  ordered  the  virgins,  and  they 
arose  and  trimmed  tlieir  lamps ;  and  in  all  hu- 
man probability  thousands,  who  would  have  met 
a  drunkard's  grave  if  this  society  had  not  arose, 
are  now  watching,  with  their  lamps  trimmed  and 
burning,  ready  to  meet  the  Bridegroom  at  his 
coming.  Perhaps  this  temperance  society  is  the 
virgins'  last  resort.  The  Judge  stands  at  the 
door ;  go  ye  out  to  meet  him.  This  society,  like 
the  others  before  mentioned,  is  a  general  thing, 
and  all  sects,  denominations,  and  classes  of  men, 
are  engaged  in  it,  and  it  has  an  important  in- 
fluence upon  all  men  who  are  in  this  probation- 
ary state,  and  who  may  be  termed,  as  in  our  text, 
"  virgins."  This  society  is  of  later  origin  than 
the  others,  and  seems  to  be  a  rear-guard  to  wake 
up  a  few  stragglers  which  the  other  societies 
could  not  reach.  And  now,  drunkards,  is  your 
time ;  Wisdom  stands  at  the  door  and  knocks ; 
let  go  the  intoxicating  bowl ;  be  sober,  and  hear 
the  midnight  cry,  "Behold,  the  Bridegroom 
cometh  !"  For  your  souls'  sake  drink  not  another 
draught,  lest  he  come  and  find  you  drunken, 
"and  that  day  come  upon  you  unawares  and  find 
you  sleeping."  Oh,  be  wise,  ye  intemperate 
men !  for  they  only  went  into  tlie  marriage  who 
were  found  ready,  "and  the  door  was  shut." 
"Then  came  also  the  other  virgins,  sa3'ing.  Lord, 


SPECIMENS    OF   HIS    PREACHING.  243 

Lord,  open  to  us.  But  he  answered  and  said, 
Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not.  Watch, 
therefore,  for  ye  neither  know  the  day  nor  the 
hour  when  the  Son  of  man  cometh."  "  But  the 
wise  shall  understand,"  says  Daniel,  12  :  10. 

"  *  And  now,  my  Christian  friends,  let  me  in- 
quire, Ai*e  your  lamps  trimmed  and  burning  ? 
And  have  you  oil  in  your  vessels  ?  And  are  you 
prepared  for  the  coming  Bridegroom  ?  And  are 
you  awake  to  this  important  subject  ?  What  say 
3^ou  ?  If  this  parable,  to  which  I  have  directed 
your  minds,  has  reference  to  the  last  day  and 
the  coming  of  Christ ;  if  the  "  virgins"  have  ref- 
erence to  all  men  in  the  probationary  state,  and 
dividing  them  into  two  classes,  wise  and  foolish ; 
if  the  "  lamp  "  is  the  word  of  God,  and  "  oil " 
means  faith  in  his  word,  or  grace  in  the  heart, 
as  some  say,  then  my  conclusions  are  just,  and 
the  evidence  is  strong  that  we  live  at  the  end  of 
the  gospel  kingdom,  and  upon  the  threshold  of 
the  glorified  state  of  the  righteous.  Then  examine 
your  Bibles,  and  if  you  can  more  fairly  prove 
any  other  exposition  of  this  parable  than  I  have 
this,  then  believe  yours,  and  time  must  settle  the 
issue ;  but  if  you  can  find  nothing  in  the  Script- 
ures to  controvert  plainly  my  explanation,  then 
believe,  and  prepare  to  meet  the  Bridegroom  ;  for, 
behold,  he  cometh.  Awake !  ye  fathers  and 
mothers  in  Zion  !  ye  have  long  looked  and  prayed 
for  this  day.  Behold  the  signs !  He  is  near, 
even  at  the  door.  And,  ye  children  of  God,  lift 
up  your  heads  and  rejoice,  for  your  redemption 
drawcth  nigh.  For  these  things  have  begun  to 
come  to  pass.  And,  ye  little  lambs  of  the  flock, 
remember,  Jesus  has  promised,  to  carry  you  in 
his  arms,  and  that  he  will  come  and  take  you  to 


244  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

himself,  that  where  he  is  there  ye  may  be  also. 
But  remember,  all  of  you,  the  wise  had  oil  in  their 
lamps,  and  they  were  trimmed  and  burning. 
Search  deep  ;  examine  yourselves  closely  ;  be  not 
deceived;  and  may  the  Spirit,  wliich  searcheth 
all  things,  and  kuoweth  what  is  in  the  mind  of 
man,  assist  you. 

" '  But,  my  impenitent  friends,  what  shall  I 
say  to  you  ?  Shall  I  say,  as  the  Master  in  the 
parable,  "  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh :  go 
ye  out  to  to  meet  him  "  ?  Prepare  to  meet  your 
Judge.  Now  he  has  given  you  a  time  for  repent- 
ance ;  you  have  a  probationary  season,  and  pos- 
sibly now  the  scepter  of  mere}'' is  held  out  to  you. 
Bepent,  or  it  will  soon  be  said  to  you,  as  Jere- 
miah said  to  the  virgin,  the  daughter  of  Egypt, 
"  In  vain  shalt  thou  use  many  medicines ;  for 
thou  shalt  not  be  cured ; "  or,  as  in  the  parable, 
"  I  know  you  not."  Have  you  no  oil  in  your 
lamps  ?  Delaj'"  not  a  moment ;  believe  the  gos- 
pel, and  you  will  live ;  believe  the  word  of  God ; 
receive  the  love  of  the  Bridegroom,  and  make  no 
delay ;  for  while  they  went  to  buy,  the  Bride- 
groom came ;  and  they  that  were  ready  v/ent  in 
with  him  to  the  marriage,  and  the  door  was  shut. 
Oh,  think  what  must  be  the  exercise  of  your 
minds  when  these  things  shall  be  real;  when 
you  will  stand  without  and  knock,  saying,  "  Lord, 
Lord,  open  to  us !"  Again  I  ask.  Will  you  re- 
pent, believe,  and  be  saved  ?  Are  you  deter- 
mined to  resist  the  truth  until  it  is  too  late  ? 
Say,  sinner,  wdiat  think  ye  ? 

" '  We  will  risk  the  consequence.  We  do  not 
believe  in  your  day  you  tell  us  of.  The  world  is 
the  same  it  always  was,^no  change,  nor  ever  will 
be ;  but  if  it  should  come,  it  will  not  this  ten  thou- 


LOXG    ISLAXD    GAZETTE.  245 

sand  years, — not  in  our  day,  certainl}^  You  do 
not  believe  yourself.  If  you  did,  we  should  call 
you  a  fool.' 

" '  Are  these  3^ our  arguments,  sinner  ?' 

" '  Yes.' 

"'Well,  if  I  had  brought  no  more,  no  stronger 
arguments  than  these,  I  would  not  blame  you 
for  not  believing,  for  not  one  of  yours  can  you 
or  have  you  supported  with  a  particle  of  proof 
They  are  mere  assertions  ;  your  believing  or  not 
believing  will  not  alter  the  designs  of  God.  The 
antediluvians  believed  not.  The  citizens  of  the 
plain  laughed  at  the  folly  of  Lot.  And  where 
are  they  now  ?  Suffering  the  vengeance  of  eter- 
nal fire.' 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

HIS     SICKNESS — VISIT     TO     MASSACHUSETTS — FANATICISM — 
MR.    MILLER   REPUDIATES    IT. 

"  At  the  close  of  his  lectures  in  Philadelphia, 
Mr.  Miller  went  to  Trenton,  N.  J.,  to  spend  the 
Sabbath  (February  12,  1843).  By  invitation  of 
the  mayor  of  that  city,  he  lectured  there  three 
days,  and  was  listened  to  by  crowded  houses. 

"  From  Trenton  he  returned  to  New  York  city, 
but  held  no  public  meeting  there.  He  improved 
the  opportunity  to  visit  a  brother  at  Williams- 
burg, Long  Island,  where  he  had  an  interview 
with  the  editor  of  the  Gazette  and  Advertiser, 
who  thus  referred  to  it : — 

"  •  Our  curiosity  was  recently  gratified  by  an 
introduction  to  this  gentleman,  who  has  probably 


246  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

been  an  object  of  more  abuse,  ridicule  and  black- 
guardism, than  any  other  man  now  living.  A 
large  number  of  the  veracious  editors  of  the  polit- 
ical and  religious  newspapers  have  assured  us 
that  Mr.  Miller  was  totally  insane,  and  sundry 
preachers  had  confirmed  this  assurance.  We 
were  somewhat  surprised  to  hear  him  converse 
on  religious  subjects  with  a  coolness  and  sound- 
ness of  judgment  which  made  us  whisper  to  our- 
selves, 

"  If  this  be  madness,  then  there  is  method  in't." 

" '  When  our  interview  closed,  we  were  left 
wondering  at  the  cause  of  that  malignant  spirit 
of  slander  and  falsehood  with  which  a  man  has 
been  assailed,  who  has  spent  his  time  and  sub- 
stance in  a  course  of  unceasing  toils  to  persuade 
men  "  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come." ' 

"  From  New  York,  Mr.  M.  went  up  the  Hudson 
River  as  far  as  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.,  whei'e  he 
lectured  from  the  17th  to  the  21st  of  February. 
The  day  following,  in  compliance  with  the  urgent 
request  of  the  Baptist  church  in  Half  Moon,  N. 
Y.,  he  visited  that  place,  and  commenced  a  course 
of  lectures,  which  continued  till  the  5th  of  March. 

"  At  the  request  of  Mr.  Davis,  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  Ballston  Center,  Mr.  M.  next 
lectured  in  his  house  from  the  Gth  to  the  11th  of 
March;  and,  on  the  12th,  gave  two  discourses  at 
the  Spa.  As  usual,  a  large  number  were  present, 
and  God's  blessing  was  manifested. 

"On  the  1.5th  of  March,  he  delivered  two  dis- 
courses at  Rock  City,  in  the  town  of  Milton,  N. 
Y.,  about  six  miles  from  Saratoga  Springs.  He 
had  attempted  to  go  as  far  as  Albany,  to  fulfill 
an  engagement  there ;  but,  after  getting  within 


UIS    SICKNESS.  247 

fourteen  miles  of  that  city,  he  was  obliged  to  re- 
turn to  Rock  City,  where  he  was  taken  sick  with 
his  old  complaint,  erysipelas,  in  his  right  arm. 
He  remained  at  the  house  of  Dea.  Dubois,  where 
he  received  the  kindest  attention,  till  the  23d  of 
March.  On  that  day  he  was  removed  to  the 
house  of  Herman  Thomas,  in  the  same  place. 
He  was  carefully  provided  for  there  till  the  30th, 
when  he  was  so  far  convalescent  as  to  be  removed 
by  his  son.  By  short  and  easy  journeys  he 
reached  his  home  at  Low  Hampton  on  the  31st, 
as  comfortably  as  could  have  been  hoped  for. 

"  On  the  0th  of  April  he  commenced  a  letter  to 
Mr.  Himes,  in  which  he  says :  '  I  am  now  at 
home ;  was  brought  home  six  days  since.  I  am 
very  weak  in  body,  but,  blessed  be  God !  my 
mind,  faith,  and  hope,  are  yet  strong  in  the  Lord, 
— no  wavering  in  my  belief  that  I  shall  see  Christ 
this  year,'  &c.  This  letter  not  being  completed 
on  the  13th  of  April,  his  son  forwarded  it  to  Mr. 
Himes,  adding,  '  Father  is  quite  lov/  and  feeble, 
and  we  fear  he  may  be  no  better.' 

"His  complaint  manifested  itself  in  a  multi- 
plicity and  succession  of  carbuncle  boils,  which 
were  a  great  drain  on  his  system,  and  wasted  his 
strength  rapidly.  On  the  3d  of  May,  when  their 
violence  had  greatly  abated,  he  wrote :  '  My 
health  is  on  the  gain,  as  my  folks  would  say.  ^  I 
have  now  only  twenty-two  boils,  from  the  big- 
ness of  a  grape  to  a  walnut,  on  my  shoulder,  side, 
back,  and  arms.  I  am  truly  afflicted,  like  Job, 
and  have  about  as  many  comforters,  only  they  flo 
not  come  to  see  me,  as  Job's  did.'  Two  weeks 
later,  he  was  again  much  more  feeble,  and  his 
physicians  prohibited  visitors  from  seeing  him. 
"  On  the  28th  of  May,  his  son  m'ote  :  '  Father's 


248  I.IFE    OF    MTLLEH, 

health  is  no  better,  on  the  whole.  lie  conthiues 
very  weak  and  iow,  conlined  to  his  bed  most  of 
the  time.'  In  addition  to  his  numerous  boils,  he 
had,  by  a  fever,  been  brought  near  to  death's 
door. 

"  About  the  Ist  of  July  he  was  so  far  recovered 
as  to  be  able  to  walk  about  his  house,  and  his 
health  continued  to  improve,  so  that,  from  the 
6th  to  the  9th  of  September,  he  gave  a  course  of 
lectures  in  N.  Springfield,  Yt.  He  lectured  in 
Ciaremont,  N.  H.,  on  the  11th;  in  Springfield, 
N.  H.,  on  the  12th;  in  Wilmot,  N.  H.,  on  the 
14th  :  in  Andover,  N.  H.,  on  the  17th  ;  in  Frank- 
lin, N.  H,  on  the  18th;  in  Guilford,  N.  H.,  from 
the  21st  to  the  2'ith ;  in  Gilmanton,  N.  H.,  on  the 
25th;  and  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  on  the  26th  and 
27th.  On  the  2d  of  October  he  gave  two  ad- 
dresses at  the  camp- meeting  in  Exeter,  N.  H., 
and  arrived  at  Lowell,  Mass.,  on  the  3d.  He 
went  to  Boston  on  the  6th,  gave  three  discourses, 
and  then  returned  home  to  Low  Hampton,  where 
he  remained  till  the  9th  of  November. 

"  During  this  tour,  Mr.  Miller  was  much  pained 
by  witnessing  a  tendency  to  fanaticism  on  the 
part  of  some  who  held  to  his  views.  As  he  had 
no  sympathy  for  anything  of  the  kind,  and  has 
been  unjustly  identified  vrith  it  in  the  minds  of 
the  public,  it  becomes  necessary  to  show  its  ori- 
gin, that  its  responsibility  may  rest  where  it 
rightly  belongs. 

"The  views  of  Mr.  Miller  being  embraced  by  per- 
sons belonging  to  various  religious  denominations, 
it  was  impossible,  from  the  nature  of  the  case, 
for  those  of  any  particular  faith  to  teach  their 
own  private  opinions  in  connection  with  the  Ad- 
vent, without  exciting  the  jealousy  of  those  who 


FAXATTCTSAf.  249 

held  opposite  sentiments.  To  avoid  any  such  clash- 
ing of  opinions,  the  following  platform  was  adopt- 
ed by  the  first  conference  held  by  believers  in 
the  Advent  (October  14,  1840),  in  their  Address 
unanimously  presented  to  the  public,  namel}^ :— * 

"'Our  object  in  assembling  at  this  time,  our 
object  in  addressing  you,  and  our  object  in  other 
efforts,  separate  and  combined,  on  tlie  subject  of 
the  kingdom  of  Heaven  at  hand,  is  to  revive  and 
restore  this  ancient  faith,  to  renew  the  ancient 
landmarks,  to  "  stand  in  the  way,  and  see,  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way  "  in 
which  our  fathers  walked,  and  the  martyrs  "found 
rest  to  their  souls."  We  have  no  purpose  to  dis- 
tract the  churches  with  any  new  inventions,  or 
to  get  ourselves  a  name  by  starting  another  sect 
among  the  follov/ers  of  the  Lamb.  We  neither 
condemn  nor  rudely  assail  others  of  a  faith  differ- 
ent from  our  own,  nor  dictate  in  matters  of  con- 
science for  our  brethren,  nor  seek  to  demolish 
their  organizations,  nor  build  new  ones  of  our 
own ;  but  simply  to  express  our  convictions,  like 
Christians,  with  the  reasons  for  entertaining  them, 
which  have  persuaded  us  to  understand  the  word 
and  promises,  the  prophecies  and  the  gospel  of 
our  Lord,  as  the  first  Christians,  the  primitive 
ages  of  the  church,  and  the  profoundly  learned 
and  intelligent  reformers,  have  unanimously  done 
in  the  faith  and  hope  that  the  Lord  will  come 

*From  personal  acquaintance  with  Mr.  Miller,  and  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  his  teachings,  we  are  happy  to  state  that  during  his 
entire  public  life  he  had  no  sj^mpathy  whatever  witli  those  teacli- 
ings  and  influences  which  lead  to  fanaticism  ;  and  that  his  broad 
and  liberal  feelings  of  Christian  fellowship  are  expressed  in  the 
following  address.  J.  w. 


250  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

quickly  in  his  glory,  to  fulfill  all  his  promises  in 
the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 

" '  We  are  agreed  and  harmonize  with  the  pub- 
lished creed  of  the  Episcopal,  Dutch  Reformed, 
Presbyterian,  and  Methodist  churches,  together 
with  the  Cambridge  Platform  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church,  and  the  Lutheran  and  the  Roman 
Catholic  churches,  in  maintaining  that  Christ's 
second  and  only  coming  now  will  be  to  judge  the 
world  at  the  last  day. 

" '  We  are  not  of  those  who  sow  discord  among 
brethren,  who  withdraw  from  the  fellowship  of 
the  churches,  who  rail  at  the  office  of  the  minis- 
try, and  triumph  in  the  exposure  of  the  errors  of 
a  secular  and  apostate  church,  and  who  count 
themselves  holier  than  others,  or  wiser  than  their 
fellows.  The  gracious  Lord  has  opened  to  us 
wondrous  things  in  his  word,  whereof  we  are  glad, 
and  in  view  of  which  we  rejoice  with  fear  and 
trembling.  We  reverently  bless  his  name,  and 
we  offer  these  things,  with  the  right  hand  of  our 
Christian  fellowship  and  union,  to  all  disciples  of 
our  common  Lord,  of  every  sect  and  denomina- 
tion, praying  them,  by  the  love  of  the  crucified 
Jesus,  to  regard  the  promise  of  his  coming,  and 
to  cultivate  the  love  of  his  appearing,  and  to 
sanctify  themselves  in  view  of  his  approaching 
with  power  and  great  glory ;  although  they  con- 
scientiously differ  from  us  in  minor  points  of  faith, 
or  reject  some  of  the  peculiarities  which  exist  in 
individuals  of  this  Conference. 

"'We  do  not  seek  to  excite  the  prejudices  of 
our  fellow-men,  or  to  join  with  those  who  mock 
at  sin,  or  who  scoff  at  the  word  or  promise  of  the 
great  Jehovah,  or  who  lightly  esteem  offices  and 
ordinances  of  the  church,  or  who  empty  of  their 


FANATICISM.  251 

power  the  threatenings  of  the  holy  law,  or  who 
count  the  blood  of  the  atonement  a  useless  thing, 
or  who  refuse  to  worship  and  honor  the  Son  of 
God  even  as  they  honor  the  Father ;  nor  do  we 
refuse  any  of  these,  or  others  of  divers  faith, 
whether  Roman  or  Protestant,  who  receive  and 
heartily  embrace  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  com- 
ing in  his  kingdom. 

"  It  was  thus  unanimously  agreed  that  the  sec- 
tarian questions  which  divide  Christians  should 
be  avoided  in  the  presentation  of  the  advent  doc- 
trine, and  that  '  minor  points  of  faith,'  and  the 
'  peculiarities '  in  the  belief  of  any,  should  not 
be  made  prominent,  to  impede  their  united  la- 
bors. 

"In  the  autumn  of  1842,  Mr.  Miller's  views 
were  embraced  by  John  Starkweather,  a  gradu- 
ate of  the  Andover  Theological  Seminary,  and  a 
minister  of  ffood  standino;  in  the  Orthodox  Con- 
ffrejrational  denomination.  He  had  been  a  min- 
ister  at  the  Marlboro'  chapel,  in  Boston,  and  at 
other  places,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man  of  pe- 
culiar sanctity.  He  was  at  that  time,  unem- 
ployed by  any  people,  and  Elder  Himes  being 
obliged  to  spefld  much  of  liis  time  in  preach- 
ing in  other  places  than  Boston,  Mr.  Stark- 
weather was  called  as  an  assistant  pastor  of  his 
church,  at  the  chapel  in  Chardon-street. 

"Mr.  Starkweather  commenced  his  labors  there 
in  October,  1842.  He  was  tall,  well  formed,  and 
had  a  voice  of  great  power  and  not  unpleasant 
tones.  His  personal  appearance  was  thus  pre- 
possessing, which,  with  his  reputation  for  supe- 
rior sanctity,  enabled  him  easily  to  secure  the 
confidence  of  his  hearers,  who  nightly  thronged 
the  chapel. 


252  LIFE    OF    MTLLER. 

"His  principal  tbenie  was  the  necessity  of  a 
preparation  for  the  Saviour's  coming.  At  such 
a  time  no  subject  seemingly  could  be  more  ap- 
propriate. But  Mr.  Starkweather  had  embraced 
peculiar  views  respecting  personal  sanctification ; 
and,  contrary  to  the  understanding  which  had 
been  had  on  the  subject  of  sectarian  views,  he 
made  his  own  notions  not  only  a  test  of  readiness 
for  the  Lord's  coming,  but  of  Christian  fellow- 
ship,— demanding  the  largest  liberty  for  himself, 
and  granting  none  to  others.  He  taught  that 
conversion,  however  full  and  thorough,  did  not 
fit  one  for  God's  favor  without  a  second  work ; 
and  that  this  second  work  was  usually  indicated 
by  some  bodily  sensation. 

"  During  the  winter,  the  losing  of  strength  and 
other  cataleptic  and  epileptic  phenomena  became 
manifested,  and  were  hailed  by  him  as  evidences 
of  the  great  power  of  God  in  the  sanctification  of 
those  v^ho  were  already  devoted  C^hristians.  He 
denominated  such  '  the  sealing  power.' 

"  Those  who  were  familiar  with  the  history  of 
fanaticism  in  past  ages,  who  had  read  with  pain 
the  termination  of  the  career  of  the  eloquent  Ed- 
ward Irving  in  England,  who  knew  the  devasta- 
tion caused  by  fanaticism  in  the  time  of  the  Ref- 
ormation, of  its  effects  in  the  early  ages  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  of  the  results  produced  by  it  even  in 
many  portions  of  our  own  country  during  the 
infancy  of  some  of  the  sects  among  us,  were  at 
no  loss  respecting  its  character. 

"  It  was  at  first  supposed  that  Mr.  Stark- 
weather was  an  innocent  cause  of  this,  and  that 
he  was  ignorant  of  his  strong  mesmeric  powers, 
by  which  he  had  obtained  a  sympathetic  influ- 
ence over  some  of  his  hearers.     He  was  reasoned 


FANATICISM.  253. 

with  on  the  subject,  but  to  no  purpose.  His 
mind  was  bent  in  a  certain  direction,  and  pursue 
his  course  he  would.  His  actual  s}>irit  was  not 
discovered  until  leading  brethren  publicly  dis- 
sented from  such  exercises  as  any  necessary  part 
of  Christianity.  At  this  the  uncaged  lion  was 
aroused,  and  it  became  evident  what  manner  of 
spirit  he  was  of. 

"Near  the  close  of  April,  1843,  it  was  deemed 
necessary  to  take  a  decided  stand  on  the  subject. 
A  meeting  had  been  appointed  for  the  afternoon, 
and  Mr.  Himes,  who  had  been  absent  during 
these  occurrences,  with  judicious  brethren  deter- 
mined to  endeavor  to  stem  the  current  of  fanati- 
cism which  had  commenced.  In  a  calm  and 
faithful  manner,  he  gave  them  the  history  of  va- 
rious movements  which  had  been  destroyed  or 
greatly  injured  by  fanaticism ;  and,  without  in- 
timating that  evidences  of  such  then  existed,  he 
exhorted  them  to  learn  from  past  experience, 
and  see  to  it  that  they  avoid  the  rocks  on  which 
others  had  been  shipwrecked. 

"  Mr.  Starkweather  arose  in  reply,  and  was  so 
vehement  that  Mr.  Himes  felt  justified  in  again 
addressing  the  audience,  exposing  the  nature  of 
the  exercises  that  had  appeared  among  them,  and 
their  pernicious  tendency. 

"  This  so  shocked  the  sensiblities  of  those  who 
regarded  them  as  the  'great  power  of  God,'  that 
they  cried  out  and  stopped  their  ears.  Some 
jumped  upon  their  feet,  and  some  ran  out  of  the 
house.  '  Yon  will  drive  out  the  Holy  Ghost ! ' 
cried  one.  '  You  are  throwing  on  cold  water ! ' 
said  another. 

" '  Throwing  on  cold  water  ! '  said  Mr.  Himes  ; 
'  I  would  throw  on  the  Atlantic  Ocean  before  I 


254  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

would  be  identified  with  such  abominations  as 
these,  or  suffer  them  in  this  place  unrebuked.' 

"  Starkweather  immediately  announced  that 
'  the  saints '  would  thenceforth  meet  at  another 
place  than  the  Chardon-street  chapel;  and,  retir- 
ing, his  followers  withdrew  with  him. 

"  From  this  time  he  was  the  leader  of  a  party, 
held  separate  meetings,  and,  by  extending  his 
visits  to  other  places,  he  gained  a  number  of  ad- 
herents. He  was  not  countenanced  by  the 
friends  of  Mr.  Miller ;  but  the  public  identified 
him  and  his  movement  with  Mr.  Miller  and  his. 

"  This  was  most  unjust  to  Mr.  Miller;  but  to 
this  day  the  Romanists  identify,  in  the  same 
manner  the  fanaticism  consequent  on  the  Refor- 
mation, with  Luther  and  those  who  repudiated 
the  doings  of  Munzer,  Storch  and  others. 

"  While  Starkweather  was  thus  repudiated,  he 
persisted  in  forcing  himself,  wherever  he  could, 
upon  the  public,  as  a  religious  teacher  and 
lecturer  on  the  Advent. 

"  On  the  9th  of  August,  1843,  a  camp-meeting 
commenced  at  Plainfield,  Ct.,  at  which  Stark- 
weather was,  and  some  manifestations  were  ex- 
hibited which  were  entirely  new  to  those  present, 
and  for  which  they  could  not  account.  Another 
meeting  was  held  at  Stepney,  near  Bridgeport,  on 
the  28th  of  the  same  month,  where  the  develop- 
ments were  more  marked.  A  few  young  men, 
professing  to  have  the  gift  of  discerning  spirits, 
were  hurried  into  great  extravagances.  Elder  J. 
Litch  published  a  protest  against  such  exhibi- 
tions, in  which  he  said : — 

"'A  more  disgraceful  scene,  under  the  garb  of 
piety,  I  have  rarely  witnessed.  For  the  last  ten 
3'eais  I  have  come  in  contact  nearly  every  year, 


FANATICISM.  255 

moi"e  or  less,  with  the  same  spirit,  and  have 
marked  its  developments,  its  beginning,  and  its 
result ;  and  am  now  prepared  to  say  that  it  is 
evil,  and  only  evil,  and  that  continually.  I  have 
uniformly  opposed  it  wherever  it  has  made  its 
appearance,  and  as  uniformly  have  been  de- 
nounced as  being  opposed  to  the  power  of  God, 
and  as  resisting  the  operations  of  the  Spirit. 
The  origin  of  it,  is  the  idea  that  the  individuals 
thus  exercised  are  entirely  under  the  influence  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  are  his  children,  and  that  he 
will  not  deceive  them  and  lead  them  astray ; 
hence  every  impulse  which  comes  upon  them  is 
yielded  to  as  coming  from  God,  and,  following  it, 
there  is  no  length  of  fanaticism  to  which  they 
will  not  go.'  "—Midnight  Cry,  Sept.  14,  1843. 

"During  Mr.  Miller's  confinement  by  his  sick- 
ness, he  had  not  come  in  contact  with  any  of 
these  things ;  but,  on  his  last  tour  into  Massachu- 
setts, he  had  seen  something  of  it,  and  took  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  do  his  duty  respecting  it, 
by  a  prompt  disclaimer.  Before  reaching  home, 
he  stopped  a  day  at  Castleton,  Vt.,  and  wrote  the 
following  letter,  which  was  published  in  the 
Signs  of  the  Times  of  November  8,  1843  : — 

"'Dear  Brother:  My  Iieart  was  deeply 
pained,  during  my  tour  east,  to  see  in  some  few 
of  my  former  friends  a  proneness  to  wild  and  fool- 
ish extremes  and  vain  delusions,  such  as  working 
miracles,  discerning  of  spirits,  vague  and  loose 
views  on  sanctification,  &c. 

" '  As  it  respects  the  working  of  miracles,  I  lia\'o 
no  faith  in  those  who  pretend  beforehand  tliat 
they  can  work  miracles.     Sec  Rev.  13:13,  14; 


256  LIFE    OF    MILLER, 

"  And  he  doetli  great  wonders,  so  tliat  he  maketh 
fire  come  down  from  heaven  on  the  earth  in  the 
sight  of  men,  and  deceiveth  them  that  dwell 
on  the  earth  by  the  means  of  those  miracles  which 
he  had  power  to  do  in  the  sight  of  the  beast." 
Whenever  God  has  seen  fit  to  work  miracles,  the 
instruments  have  seemingly  been  unconscious  of 
having  the  power,  until  the  work  was  done. 
They  have,  in  no  instance  that  I  recollect,  pro- 
claimed as  v/ith  a  trumpet  that  they  could  or 
would  work  a  miracle.  Moses  and  the  apostles 
were  more  modest  than  these  modern  pretenders 
to  this  power.  You  may  depend  upon  it,  whoso- 
ever claims  the  power  has  the  spirit  of  Antichrist. 
Rev.  16  :  14  :  "  For  they  are  the  spirits  of  devils, 
working  miracles,  which  go  forth  unto  the  kings 
of  the  earth,  and  of  the  whole  world,  to  gather 
them  to  the  battle  of  that  great  day  of  God  Al- 
mighty." 

" '  I  know  they  pretend  to  prove  that  men  are 
to  have  this  power  unto  the  end  of  the  world,  by 
Mark  16:17.  But  take  the  whole  passage  to- 
gether, and  what  does  it  prove  ?  Not  that  all 
believers  can  do  these  miracles,  but  that  these 
miracles  would  follow  those  who  believe ;  that  is, 
those  who  believed  in  the  record  that  God  had 
given  would,  in  the  apostolic  age,  have  a  con- 
firmation of  the  truth  of  that  word  by  those  mir- 
acles, which  would  follow  them,*  The  word  would 

*  While  it  may  now  appeal'  very  evident  that  the  stand  taken 
by  Mr.  Miller,  relative  to  the  character,  and  the  final  results,  of 
the  fanaticism  of  v.'hich  he  speaks,  was  a  proper  and  right  one,  it 
is  not  so  clear  that  he  disposed  of  the  question  of  the  gifts  and 
manifestations  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  harmony  with  the  general 
scope  of  Scripture  testimony  upon  the  subject.  The  reader  will 
observe  that  he  does  not  produce  the  proof,  in  his  accustomed 


FANATICISM.  257 

be  thus  confirmed  by  miracles,  performed  by 
]H'opliets  and  apostles,  who  were  inspired  to  write 
the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  I  see  no  reason 
for  the  working  of  miracles  in  this  acje ;  "  for  if 
they  believe  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither 
would  they  believe  though  one  should  arise  from 
the  dead."  Since  the  apostles'  day,  none  have 
worked  miracles  but  the  anti- Christian  beast. 

style  of  proving  his  points,  that  the  great  commission,  with  its 
duties,  and  its  blessings,  was  given  to  the  ministry  for  only  a  lim- 
ited portion  of  the  Christian  age.  Mr.  Miller,  Mr.  Himes,  and 
other  leading  Adventists,  failed  to  show  the  time  when,  and  bj 
whom,  the  gifts  were  removed  from  the  church  of  God.  This 
gave  the  fanatics  great  advantage  ;  and  as  they  maintained  the 
scriptural  position  upon  the  perpetuity  of  spiritual  gifts  they 
gained  very  largo  numbers  to  their  ranks.  The  false  positions  of 
those  who  opposed  them  added  fuel  to  the  flame  of  fanaticism  al- 
ready kindled,  and  resulted  in  the  breaking  up  of  the  once  united 
and  happy  body  of  believers. 

Seventh-day  Adventists  have  held  the  scriptural  position  upon 
the  perpetuity  of  the  gifts  from  their  first  existence.  They  have 
taken  heed  to  the  admonition  of  Paul  to  "  Despise  not  prophe- 
syings  ;  "  but  to  "  Prove  all  things  ;  "  and  "  Hold  fast  that  which 
is  good."  2  Thess.  5  :  20,  21.  They  have  with  their  Bibles  in  their 
hands  applied  the  rule  of  John  by  which  to  test  the  spirits.  "  Be- 
lieve not  every  spirit  ;  but  try  the  spirits,  whether  they  are  of 
God."  1  John  4  : 1.  With  this  position  those  who  have  held  it 
have  been  prepared  to  meet  every  form  of  fanaticism  that  has 
sought  a  place  among  us,  and  now  our  people  are  reaping  the 
good  fruits  of  their  patient,  firm,  and  energetic  efforts  upon  this 
point,  in  the  unparalleled  union  and  order  throughout  the  ranks. 
We  would  not  encourage  a  disposition  to  blame  those  who  acted 
according  to  the  best  light  they  had  under  the  pressure  of  the 
trials  of  the  past;  but  we  here  express  our  solemn  conviction 
that  very  much  of  the  past  fanaticism  and  confusion  among  the 
Adventists  who  could  not  adopt  an  unscriptural  position,  is 
chargeable  to  those  leaders  who  took  a  false  position  relative 
to  the  perpetuity  of  epiritual  gifts.  J.  w. 

Sliller.  1 7 


258  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

" '  The  discerning  of  spirits  is,  I  fear,  another 
fanatical  movement  to  draw  off  Adventists  from 
the  truth,  and  to  lead  men  to  depend  on  the  feel- 
ing, exercise,  and  conceit  of  their  own  mind,  more 
than  on  the  word  of  God.  It  builds  up  a  spirit 
of  pride  and  self-righteousness,  and  thus  loses 
sight  of  the  humbling  doctrine,  to  account  others 
better  than  ourselves.  If  all  Christians  were  to 
possess  this  gift,  how  should  we  live  by  faith  ? 
Each  would  stand  upon  the  spiritual  gifts  of  his 
brother,  and,  if  possessed  of  the  true  Spirit  of  God, 
could  never  err.  Surely  the  devil  has  great  pow- 
er over  the  minds  of  some  at  the  present  day. 
And  how  shall  we  know  what  manner  of  spirit 
they  are  of?  The  Bible  answers:  "By  their 
fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  Then  it  is  not  by  the 
spirit. 

" '  I  think  those  who  claim  this  power  will  soon 
manifest,  by  their  fruits,  that  they  have  another 
rule  than  the  Bible.  I  have  observed  that  those 
persons  who  think,  that  they  have  been  baptized 
by  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  they  term  it,  become  more 
sensitive  of  themselves,  and  very  jealous  for  their 
own  glory ;  less  patient,  and  full  of  the  denuncia- 
tory spirit  against  others  who  are  not  so  fortu- 
nate as  themselves.  There  are  many  spirits  gone 
out  into  the  world ;  and  we  are  commanded  to 
try  the  spirits.  The  spirit  that  does  not  cause  us 
to  live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  this 
present  world,  is  not  the  spirit  of  Christ.  I  am 
more  and  more  convinced  that  Satan  has  much 
to  do  in  these  wild  movements.  He  has  come 
down,  havinof  great  wrath,  knowincj  he  hath  but 
a  short  time ;  and  he  will,  if  possible,  deceive  the 
very  elect. 

" '  On  sanctification  I  have  but  little  at  present 


FANATICISM.  259 

to  say.  Sanctification  has  two  prominent  mean- 
ings in  Scripture :  setting  apart  for  holy  pur- 
poses ;  and  being  cleansed  from  all  sin  and  pollu- 
tion. Every  soul  converted  to  God  is  sanctified 
in  the  first  sense.  He  devotes  himself  to  God, 
to  love,  serve,  and  obey  him  forever.  Every  one 
who  obtains  complete  redemption,  body,  soul,  and 
spirit,  is  sanctified  in  the  second  sense.  The  first 
kind  is,  or  ought  to  be,  now  enjoyed  by  every 
true  heliever  in  Christ.  The  other  will  never  be 
accomplished  till  the  resurrection  of  the  just, 
when  these  vile  bodies  shall  be  changed.  We  are 
sanctified,  in  the  first  sense,  through  faith  and  a 
knowledge  of  the  truth ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  are 
not  perfect  until  we  are  perfect  in  faith  and 
knowledge  of  the  word  of  God.  Yet  many  among 
us,  who  pretend  to  be  wholly  sanctified,  are  fol- 
lowing the  traditions  of  men,  and  apparently  are 
as  ignorant  of  truth  as  others  who  make  no  such 
pretensions,  and  are  not  half  so  modest.  I  must 
confess  that  they  have  to  me  an  appearance  of 
boasting. 

" '  I  would  not  judge  harshly  ;  but  I  cannot  see 
any  reason  to  believe  them  any  more  holy  than 
many  others  who  make  no  such  claims.  I  would 
say  nothing  to  prevent  any  man  or  woman  from 
living  holy.  This  is  what  we  are  all  seeking 
after,  and  what  I  expect  to  attain,  when  Christ 
shall  come  and  blot  out  my  sins,  according  to  his 
promise.  Acts  3  :  19.  I  think  those  with  whom 
I  have  conversed,  who  pretend  to  have  obtained 
this  grace,  instead  of  enjoying  more  than  others, 
labor,  in  their  arguments,  to  lower  down  the  stand- 
ard of  holiness  to  their  present  capacity.  Instead 
of  looking  for  a  blessed  hope  at  the  appearing  of 
Jesus  Christ,  who  shall  change  our  vile  bodies, 


260  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

and  raise  our  capacity  to  enjoy  and  adore  him 
forever,  in  an  inlinitely  higher  state  of  perfection, 
they  think  they  are  actually  enjoying  all  the 
promises  noiu,  and  are  not  in  need  of  any  further 
work  of  grace  to  give  them  a  right  to  the  eternal 
inheritance  of  the  saints. 

"  '  If  this  be  so,  and  we  are  truly  perfect,  sanc- 
tified, and  prepared  for  our  possession  in  Heaven, 
then  every  moment  we  are  debarred  our  right  of 
entering  and  taking  possession  of  our  inheritance 
would  be  an  illegal  withholding  of  us  from  our  just 
rights  of  participating  in  the  enjoyment  of  the 
will  of  our  blessed  Master.  But  it  is  not  so.  We 
are  minors,  and  subjects  of  chastisements.  Pro  v. 
3  :  11,  12  :  "  My  son,  despise  not  the  chastening 
of  the  Lord,  neither  be  weary  of  his  correction ; 
for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  correcteth  ;  even  as 
a  father  the  son  in  whom  he  delighteth."  Heb. 
12  :  5-9  :  "  And  ye  have  forgotten  the  exhorta- 
tion which  speaketh  unto  you  as  unto  children. 
My  son,  despise  not  thou  the  chastening  of  the 
Lord,  nor  faint  when  thou  art  rebuked  of  him ; 
for  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  chasteneth,  and 
scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  receiveth.  If  ye 
endure  chastening,  God  dealeth  with  you  as  with 
sons;  for  what  son  is  he  whom  the  father  chas- 
teneth not  ?  But  if  ye  be  without  chastisement, 
whereof  all  are  partakers,  then  are  ye  bastards, 
and  not  sons.  Furthermore,  we  have  had  fathers 
of  our  flesh  which  corrected  us,  and  we  gave  them 
reverence ;  shall  we  not  much  rather  be  subject  to 
the  Father  of  spirits,  and  live  f" 

'"Therefore,  let  us  all  be  modest,  unassuming, 
and  godlike,  pressing  on  to  the  mark.  Let  us 
not,  therefore,  j  udge  one  another  any  more.  Rom, 
14:  13:    "But  judge  this  rather,  that  no   man 


FANATICISM.  261 

put  a  stumbling-block  or  an  occasion  to  fall  in  his 
brother  s  way."  1  Cor.  8  :  9-13  :  "  But  take 
heed  lest  by  any  means  this  liberty  of  yours  be- 
come a  stumbling-block  to  them  that  are  weak. 
For  if  any  man  see  thee,  which  hast  knowledge, 
sit  at  meat  in  the  idol's  temple,  shall  not  the  con- 
science of  him  that  is  weak  be  emboldened  to  eat 
those  things  which  are  offered  to  idols;  and 
through  thy  knowledge  shall  the  weak  brother 
perish,  for  whom  Christ  died  ?  But  when  ye  sin 
so  against  the  brethren,  and  wound  their  weak 
conscience,  ye  sin  against  Christ.  AVherefore,  if 
meat  make  my  brother  to  offend,  I  will  eat  no 
flesh  while  the  world  standeth,  lest  I  make  my 
brother  to  offend."  If  my  brother  is  truly  per- 
fect in  every  good  work,  he  will  bear  with  me 
and  my  weakness.  Rom.  15:1:  "  We,  then,  that 
are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  infirmities  of  the  weak, 
and  not  to  please  ourselves."  1  Cor.  9:  22:  "To 
the  weak  became  I  as  weak,  that  I  might  gain 
the  weak :  I  am  made  all  things  to  all  men,  that 
I  might  by  all  means  save  some." 

"'  I  have  not  written  this  to  condemn  my  "  per- 
fect" brother,  or  to  call  out  a  reply.  He  may 
call  one  thing  perfect  sanctification,  and  I  anoth- 
er. If  he  is  "  perfect "  and  strong,  he  can  bear  my 
weakness.  If  he  wants  contention,  it  will  show 
that  he  is  not  perfect,  but  contentious.  I  beg  of 
my  brother  to  let  me  follow  on  to  know  the  Lord  ; 
and  God  forbid  that  I  should  call  him  back.  I 
hope  he  will  not  boastingly  exclude  me  from  the 
path  he  would  tread.  May  God  sanctify  and 
prepare  us  for  his  own  use,  and  deliver  us  from 
the  wrath  to  come. 

" '  Yours,  in  the  blessed  hope,     Wm.  Miller. 

"'Castleton,  Vt.,  Oct.  12,  1S43.' 


262  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

"Not  only  Mr.  Miller,  but  all  who  were  in  his 
confidence,  took  a  decided  position  against  all  fan- 
atical extravagances.  They  never  gave  them  any 
quarter ;  while  those  who  regarded  them  with  fa- 
vor soon  arrayed  themselves  against  Mr.  Miller 
and  his  adherents.  Their  fanaticism  increased; 
and  though  opposed  by  Mr.  Miller  and  his  friends, 
the  religious  and  secular  press  very  generally,  but 
unjustly,  connected  his  name  with  it ; — he  being 
no  more  responsible  for  it  than  Luther  and  Wes- 
ley were  for  similar  manifestations  in  their  day. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

HOME  OF  MR.  MILLER — TOUR  INTO  WESTERN  NEW  YORK — 
HIS  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE — ADDRESS  TO  ALL  DENOMI- 
NATIONS— VISIT  TO  WASHINGTON,  ETC. 

"  In  the  interval  between  Mr.  Miller's  return 
from  Boston  to  his  home  at  Low  Hampton  and 
the  recommencement  of  his  public  labors,  he  was 
visited  by  his  dearly  beloved  friend,  the  late  El- 
der Nathaniel  Southard,  who  wrote  as  follows  of 

"  'the    home    ok    WILLIAM    MILLER. 

" '  It  was  Saturday  forenoon  when  we  passed 
over  the  rough  road,  and  stopped  at  a  one- storied 
house,  where  a  post-office  is  kept.  It  is  the  res- 
idence of  William  S.,  oldest  son  of  Bro.  Miller,  P. 
M,,  at  the  office,  which,  for  distinction,  is  called 
Low  Hampton.  He  was  not  at  home  ;  but  one 
of  his  little  daughters  told  us  the  residence  of  her 
grandfather  was  in  sight  on  the  hill.     Without 


HOME    OF    MR.    MILLER.  263 

waiting  for  her  to  point  it  out,  I  easily  recognized 
it — from  previous  description — among  the  good- 
looking  farm-houses  in  sight.  It  was  not  the 
largest  or  handsomest.  The  back  part  of  it  only, 
which  is  painted  red,  could  be  seen.  It  is  two 
stories  high.  The  northern  front  and  ends  are 
painted  white.  On  the  way  we  passed  the  small, 
plain  meeting-house  of  the  Baptist  church  to 
which  Bro.  M.  belongs. 

" '  At  the  gate  of  his  hospitable  mansion  we 
met  a  young  man  in  a  wagon,  with  crutches  by 
his  side,  whose  round,  open  countenance  showed 
him  to  be  a  son  of  William  Miller.  He  gave  us 
a  cordial  invitation  to  enter.  Three  visitors  were 
already  in  the  house,  to  whom  myself,  wife  and 
child,  being  added,  made  a  number  which  we 
feared  would  be  burdensome.  We  soon  found 
ourselves  perfectly  at  home,  though  we  had  never 
before  seen  one  of  the  family  but  its  venerable 
head. 

" '  The  next  day  other  visitors  arrived,  one  of 
whom  was  a  lady  from  Iowa,  and  three  from 
Vergennes.  The  clay  was  very  stormy.  We  went 
to  the  place  of  worship,  and  found  a  congregation 
consisting  of  fewer  persons  than  we  left  at  the 
house.  The  preacher,  Bro.  Increase  Jones,  gave 
a  plain,  practical  sermon  on  the  text,  "  The  end 
of  all  things  is  at  hand ;  be  ye  therefore  so- 
ber, and  watch  unto  prayer."  In  the  afternoon 
we  opened  the  Scriptures,  and  tried  to  pursue  the 
apostolic  method  in  speaking  of  Jesus  and  the 
resurrection. 

"  '  On  our  way  from  the  meeting,  after  refer- 
ring to  the  number  of  guests,  we  asked  Bobbins 
if  they  usually  had  as  much  company. 

"  'Pretty  nigh,'  said  he  ;    'I  wish  I  had  kept 


264  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

count  of  the  number  of  visitors  for  the  last  six 
months.' 

"  '  Did  they  come  in  such  numbers  when  Bro. 
Miller  was  sick  ? '  wc  inquired. 

"  '  It  seemed  to  make  but  little  difference,'  he 
replied. 

" '  We  j  ust  then  passed  by  the  open  carriage 
gate  into  the  spacious  inclosure  at  the  west  end 
of  the  house. 

" '  It  seemed  to  be  the  hardest  task,'  he  pro- 
ceeded, '  to  make  friends  understand  that  it  was 
not  friendly  to  visit  a  sick  man  in  such  numbers. 
I  have  had  to  stand  here  and  keep  people  out  of 
the  house,  and  sometimes  there  were  six  asking 
admission  at  once.' 

"  'As  it  was,  I  have  no  doubt  company  added 
weeks  to  his  sickness,  and  dollars  to  the  doctor's 
bill.  I  afterward  learned  that  the  expenses  of  his 
sickness  were  one  hundred  dollars. 

" '  Ijet  us  try  to  get  a  glimpse  at  his  wealth  and 
resources.  Twelve  years  ago  he  was  the  owner 
of  about  two  hundred  acres  of  land,  less  than  half 
of  which  was  capable  of  cultivation,  yielding  a  lib- 
eral return  tohard  labor.  No  one,  who  knows  with 
what  energy,  diligence,  and  firmness,  Bro.  Miller 
has  prosecuted  the  labors  he  seems  to  have  been 
raised  up  to  perform,  will  need  to  be  told  that  he 
is  a  man  of  industrious,  temperate,  frugal  habits. 
Such  a  man  in  such  a  place,  with  a  help  meet  for 
him,  could  not  be  poor  and  thriftless.  Twenty- 
five  years  ago  he  built  his  house.  Other  build- 
ings were  erected  as  they  became  necessary,  but 
none  within  the  last  dozen  years,  except  a  bee- 
house,  and  small,  plain  shed,  or  boiling-house, 
where  food  is  prepared  for  his  hogs. 

"  '  He  showed  me  his  home  farm,  consisting  of 


HOME   OF    MR.    MILLKlt.  265 

ninety-six  acres,  lying  wholly  on  the  south  side 
of  the  road.  There  is  some  common  wall  upon 
it ;  but  the  moss-grown,  weather-beaten  stones 
unanimously  contradict  the  foolish  and  malicious 
lies  which  have  been  told  about  its  recent  origin. 
He  also  owns  a  rough  tract  of  fifty  acres,  north 
of  the  road,  and  twenty  acres  of  interval  a  little 
distance  to  the  east.  When  he  let  out  his  farm 
to  his  son,  he  sold  him  .^500  worth  of  stock,  and 
has  since  sold  seventy  acres  of  land  to  his  son-in- 
law.  What  he  has  thus  realized,  and  $100  yearly 
for  the  use  of  his  farm,  have  enabled  him  to  meet 
the  expenses  of  traveling,  printing,  and  giving 
away  books,  company,  sickness,  &c. 

"  '  He  has  brought  up  eight  children,  two  oth- 
ers having  died  in  early  life.  His  whole  family, 
like  Job's,  originally  consisted  of  seven  sons  and 
three  daughters.  Four  of  them  are  now  in  the 
house  with  him,  and  two  sons  are  at  the  West. 
As  a  specimen  of  the  fertility  of  his  farm,  he 
showed  us  a  potato  weighing  two  pounds  and 
seven  ounces. 

"  '  While  contemplating  this  lovely  family,  and 
their  plain  but  comfortable  dwelling-place,  equally 
fiee  from  tlie  marks  of  wasteful  neglect  or  ex- 
travagant expenditure,  I  saw,  as  never  I  saw  be- 
fore, the  folly  and  malignity  of  those  falsehoods 
which  have  been  so  industriously  told  about 
them.     Look  at  them. 

"  '  A  diligent  student  of  the  Bible  tells  us  he 
finds  prophetic  periods  reaching  down  to  the 
resuiTection  and  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

"  '  Nonsense  ! '  cries  one,  who  must  stand  at 
the  Judgment  seat  of  Christ ;  '  Mr,  Miller  is  a 
man  of  property,  and  he  holds  on  to  it.' 

"  '  But  won't  you  please  to  look  in  the  Bible, 


266  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

and  see  the  evidence  that  these  periods  are  just 
running  out  ? ' 

" '  Humbug  ! '  says  another,  who  must  give 
an  account  for  the  manner  in  which  he  treats 
that  message  from  Heaven  ;  '  Mr.  Miller  is  build- 
ino-  a  solid  brick  wall  round  his  farm. ' 

" '  But  will  you  not  consider  and  discern  the 
signs  of  the  times,  which  show  that  the  kingdom 
of  Heaven  is  nigh,  even  at  the  doors  ?  ' 

" '  It  is  all  a  money-making  scheme,'  says  a 
third,  who  must  soon  give  up  his  stewardship ; 
'  Mr.  Miller  is  putting  up  some  large  buildings 
in  New  Haven,  and  he  has  a  barrel  of  jewels  in 
his  house,  which  have  been  given  him  where  he 
has  preached.' 

"  '  The  amazing  stupidity  of  these  fictions  al- 
most hides  from  view  the  malice  which  invented 
them.  But  when  we  look  at  his  wife  and  daugh- 
ter, to  whom  a  husband  and  father's  reputation 
is  as  the  apple  of  the  eye,  we  begin  to  feel  them 
as  a  personal  injury,  though  they  are  nothing,  in 
this  view,  in  comparison  with  the  public  mischief 
they  occasion. 

"  '  Bro.  Miller's  faith  remains  unwavering.  He 
said  he  should  be  happy  if  he  felt  as  sure  of 
Heaven  as  he  did  that  he  had  the  truth  on  the 
prophecies  of  Daniel. 

"  '  His  eyesight  is  improved  since  his  sickness, 
so  that  he  now  uses  spectacles  which  he  had  laid 
aside  as  being  too  young  several  years  ago.  He 
reads  the  small  Polyglot  Bible  with  the  greatest 
ease.  He  is  a  diligent  reader  of  Second  Advent 
papers.  After  he  has  received  one  ho  seldom 
lays  it  aside  till  he  has  become  acquainted  with 
all  its  contents.  The  rest  of  his  reading  is  nearly 
confined  to  the  Scriptures.     He  is  able  to  write 


HOME    OF    MR.    MILLER.  267 

freely,  and  it  requires  no  small  sliare  of  his  time 
to  attend  to  the  numerous  letters  he  receives. 

" '  He  starts  early  next  week  (Providence  per- 
mitting) on  his  way  to  Rochester,  Lockport,  and 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.  It  will  be  necessary  for  one  of 
his  sons  to  accompany  him,  as  he  is  not  strong 
enough  to  travel  alone. 

"  '  We  were  interested  in  seeing  his  old  family 
Bible,  which  cost  $18.50,  and  his  quarto  copy  of 
Cruden's  Concordance,  which  was  originally  pur- 
chased, in  1798,  for  i?8.  These  two  books  were 
almost  the  only  ones  he  looked  at  while  prepar- 
ing his  lectures.  A  clergyman  once  called  at  his 
house  in  his  absence,  and,  being  disappointed  in 
not  seeing  him,  wished  the  privilege  of  looking 
at  his  library.  His  daughter  conducted  the  vis- 
itor into  the  north-east  room,  where  he  has  sat 
so  many  hours  at  his  ancient  desk.  Those  two 
books,  and  no  others,  lay  upon  the  table.  "  That 
is  his  library,"  said  she.  The  clergyman  was 
amazed.  Her  remark  was  strictly  true,  as  far 
as  theological  writings  were  concerned.  He 
never  had  a  commentary  in  his  house,  and  did 
not  remember  reading  any  work  upon  the  proph- 
ecies, except  Newton  and  Faber,  about  thirty 
years  ago. 

"  '  When  we  spoke  to  him  about  the  stories  in 
relation  to  his  property  in  New  Haven,  he  pleas- 
antly remarked  that  those  who  believed  them 
could' easily  satisfy  themselves  ;  for  he  had  sold 
to  Bro.  McDonald,  of  Williamsburg,  near  New 
York  city,  all  his  property,  real  or  personal,  out 
of  Low  Hampton,  for  five  dollars,  and  the  pur- 
chaser had  offered  to  give  half  of  it  to  any  one 
who  w^ould  find  any. 

"  '  Monday  afternoon  we  reluctantly  took  leave 


268  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

of  this  peaceful  spot,  which  had  been  our  pleas- 
ant home  for  two  days,  rejoicing  that  calumny- 
could  there  find  no  truthful  basis  on  which  to 
found  its  reckless  and  cruel  assertions. 

" '  N.  Southard. 

"  '  Carldoii,  Vt.,  Oefohcr  S3,  ISJfS: 

"  In  company  with  his  wife  and  son  George, 
Mr.  Miller  started  for  Rochester,  N.  Y.,on  the  9th 
of  November.  On  his  passage  down  the  canal 
from  Whitehall,  by  request  of  the  passengers  on 
the  boat,  he  spoke  to  an  attentive  audience  from 
Titus  2  :  13. 

"  From  the  12th  to  the  19th  of  November,  he 
gave  his  first  course  of  lectures  in  the  city  of 
Rochester,  speaking  to  full  houses  on  the  after- 
noon and  evening  of  each  daj^.  The  ground  had 
been  previously  prepared  for  him  by  a  course  of 
lectures  in  June,  delivered  by  Mr.  Himcs  and 
others,  in  connection  with  the  '  great  tent.' 

"Mr.  Himes  had  commenced  a  paper  there 
called  the  Glad  Tidings,  and  published  thirteen 
numbers  of  it,  which  were  entensively  circulated ; 
and  the  late  Elder  Thomas  F.  Barry,  a  devoted 
brother,  had  I'emained  in  that  field  during  the 
summer.  By  those  instrumentalities  quite  an  in- 
terest had  been  created,  and  the  labors  of  Mr. 
Miller  there  were  abundantly  blessed. 

"  Receiving  a  pressing  invitation  from  Rev. 
Elon  Galusha,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
sixty-eight  otliers,  in  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  to  visit 
that  place,  he  lectured  there  from  the  21st  to 
30th  of  November.  The  salvation  of  some  souls 
and  a  general  expression  of  interest  in  the  sub- 
ject of  his  discourses,  were  the  result  of  his  labors. 

"From  the  2d  to  the  10th  of  December  he 


LABORS    m    NEW    YORK.  2G9 

lectured  in  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  in  the  theater,  to  a 
house  full  of  attentive  hearers.  Writing  from 
that  place,  on  the  4th,  he  says :  '  Yesterday  I 
saw  the  tears  of  some  in  the  congregation,  who, 
I  am  informed,  were  old,  hardened  infidels.' 

"  In  compliance  with  an  invitation  from  Rev. 
A.  Claghorn,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  and 
twenty-three  others,  he  next  lectured  in  Lewis- 
ton,  N.  Y.,  from  the  11th  to  the  17th  of  Decem- 
ber. There  were  many  hearers  present  from 
Canada,  as  well  as  from  the  American  side  of  the 
line,  who  gave  him  a  respectful  hearing.  Writ- 
ing respecting  this  place,  Mr.  M.  says  : — 

" '  I  was  here,  as  at  Rochester  and  Lockport, 
challenged  to  a  public  debate  by  a  Universalist. 
I  will  not  contend  with  them.  It  would  be  an 
admission  that  they  migJd  be  right,  which  I  can- 
not for  a  moment  believe.  Michael  would  not 
contend  with  the  devil.  Why  ?  Because  he 
would  not  admit  he  could  be  right.  Was  he 
afraid  of  the  devil  ?  No.  But  he  said,  "  The 
Lord  rebuke  thee,  Satan !"  And  so  say  I  to  his 
ministers.' 

"  Being  invited  to  visit  Penfield,  N.  Y.,  by  Rev. 
David  Bernard  and  the  unanimous  vote  of  his 
church,  he  lectured  in  the  Baptist  meeting-house 
there,  from  the  20th  to  the  27th  of  December. 
Some  souls  professed  conversion,  and  the  pastor 
and  a  number  of  his  people  avowed  their  faith 
in  the  near  coming  of  Christ. 

"  Mr.  MiUer  returned  to  Rochester  on  the  29th 
of  December,  continued  there  a  few  days,  gave 
five  discourses,  and  on  the  3d  of  January,  1844, 
he  left  for  home  by  the  way  of  Troy.  After 
reaching  Low  Hampton,  he  wrote  : — 

"'On  Saturday,  January  6,  I   arrived  home, 


270  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

having  been  absent  about  eight  weeks,  and  given 
eighty-five  lectures.  I  have  seen  a  number  of 
infidels  converted  to  God;  and  more  than  one 
hundred  have  obtained  a  hope  where  I  have 
been.' 

"  On  the  28tli  of  January  he  again  visited 
Boston,  and  gave  a  course  of  lectures  in  the  How- 
ard-street Tabernacle.  This  was  his  ninth  visit 
to  Boston,  and  his  seventh  regular  course  of  lect- 
ures there.  On  no  previous  occasion  had  such 
crowds  been  present  to  hear  as  were  then  assem- 
bled in  that  capacious  building.  On  the  Sabbath 
(January  28),  all  day  and  evening,  the  seats 
and  aisles  were  filled  with  as  many  as  could  find 
a  place  to  sit  or  stand.  Many  of  the  young  with 
the  middle-aged,  and  even  men  with  gray  hairs, 
stood  and  listened  to  the  story  of  the  coming 
One,  with  the  evidences  of  his  near  approach. 
Had  the  Tabernacle  been  twice  its  size,  it  would 
hardly  have  held  the  multitude  who  sought  ad- 
mittance. The  interest  continued  during  his  en- 
tire course  of  lectures,  which  closed  on  the  4th 
of  February. 

"  On  the  5th  of  February,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Himes,  he  left  for  New  York  city ;  but  the 
weather  was  inclement,  the  boat  was  delayed  in 
the  Sound  all  the  next  day  by  ice,  and  the  pas- 
sage was  uncommonly  tedious.  Mr.  Fowler,  the 
phrenologist,  being  one  of  the  passengers,  to  while 
away  the  time,  gave,  by  request,  a  lecture  on 
his  science.  After  the  lecture  he  was  blindfolded, 
and  in  that  state  examined  quite  a  number  of 
heads.  At  the  request  of  the  company,  Mr.  Mil- 
ler's head  was  examined.  All  were  eager  to  hear 
the  opinion  of  the  lecturer.  Among  other  things 
he  said : — 


PHRENOLOGICAL    EXAMINATION.  271 

" '  This  man  has  large  benevolence.  His  ob- 
ject is  to  do  his  fellow-beings  good.  He  has  great 
firmness — is  a  modest  man,  open,  frank,  no  hypo- 
crite, good  at  figures,  a  man  of  great  mental 
power,  might  make  a  noise  in  the  world,  has  no 
personal  enemies ;  if  he  has  enemies,  it  is  not  be- 
cause they  know  him,  but  on  account  of  his  opin- 
ions.' 

"At  the  clo&e  of  the  examination  his  blindfold 
was  removed,  and  he  was  introduced  to  Mr.  Mil- 
ler, to  the  no  small  amusement  of  the  company. 

"  They  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  evening  of 
the  6th  of  February,  1844,  and  found  a  confer- 
ence assembled  in  Franklin  Hall.  Mr.  Miller 
gave  two  discourses  there  on  the  7th ;  when, 
finding  the  place  too  small,  they  adjourned  to  the 
Broadway  Tabernacle,  where  he  lectured  in  the 
afternoon  and  evening  of  the  8  th  and  9  th  of  Feb- 
ruary, to  crowded  assemblies.  It  was  estimated 
that  not  less  than  five  thousand  persons  were 
present.  The  audiences  were  solemn  and  atten- 
tive. 

"  On  the  10th  of  February  they  went  to  Phil- 
adelphia, and  on  the  11th  Mr.  M.  commenced  a 
course  of  lectures  in  the  saloon  of  the  Chinese 
Museum,  closing  on  the  18th.  That  immense 
hall  was  filled  to  overflowing. 

"  While  laboiing  here,  a  friend  gave  the  follow- 
ing description  of  Mr.  Miller's  personal  appear- 
ance : — 

" '  There  is  a  kindness  of  soul,  simplicity,  and 
power,  peculiarly  original,  combined  in  his  man- 
ner ;  and  he  is  afiable  and  attentive  to  all,  with- 
out any  affectation  of  superiority.  He  is  of  about 
medium  stature,  a  little  corpulent,  and,  in  tem- 
perament, a  mixture  of  sanguine  and  nervous. 


LIFE    OF    MILLER. 


His  intellectual  developments  arc  unusually  full, 
and  we  see  in  his  head  great  benevolence  and  firm- 
ness, united  with  a  lack  of  self-esteem.  He  is 
wanting  in  marvelousness,  and  is  naturally  skep- 
tical. His  countenance  is  full  and  round,  while 
there  is  a  peculiar  expression  in  his  blue  eye,  of 
shrewdness  and  love.  Although  about  sixty-two 
years  of  age,  his  hair  is  not  gray,  but  of  a  light, 
glossy  auburn  ;  his  voice  is  full  and  distinct,  and 
his  pronunciation  somewhat  northern-antique. 
In  his  social  relations,  he  is  gentle  and  affection- 
ate, and  insures  the  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he 
minorles.  In  givino^  this  charcoal  sketch  to  the 
public,  I  have  merely  sought  to  correct  numer- 
ous misstatements,  and  gratify  the  honest  desire 
of  many  distant  believers  with  a  faint  outline  of 
the  character  and  appearance  of  the  man,' 

"  While  drawing  crowded  houses  of  intelli- 
gent and  attentive  hearers,  his  name  was  seldom 
mentioned  in  the  religious  press,  except  by  way 
of  ridicule  or  denunciation  ;  and  many  churches, 
particularly  those  of  his  own  denomination,  were 
taking  disciplinary  steps  with  those  who  had 
embraced  his  views.  This  called  forth  from  him 
the  following 

"  '  ADDRESS  TO  BELIEVERS  IN  CHRIST  OF  ALL  DENOMINA- 
TIONS. 

"'Dear  Brethren:  We  would  ask,  in  the 
name  of  our  dear  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  by  all 
that  is  holy,  by  the  fellowship  of  the  saints,  and 
the  love  of  the  truth,  why  you  cast  us  off  as  if 
we  were  heretics  ?  What  have  we  believed,  that 
we  have  not  been  commanded  to  believe  by  the 
word  of  God,  which  you  yourselves  allow  is  the 


ADDRESS  TO  ALL  DENOMINATIONS.        273 

rule  and  only  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice  ? 
What  have  we  done  that  should  call  down  such 
virulent  denunciations  against  us  from  pulpit  and 
press,  and  give  you  just  cause  to  exclude  us  (Ad- 
ventists)  from  your  churches  and  fellowship  ?  In 
the  name  of  all  that  is  dear,  all  that  is  holy  and 
good,  we  call  upon  some  of  you  to  come  out  and 
tell  us  wherein  our  great  sin  lies.  Have  we  de- 
nied the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  ?  Tell 
us,  v/e  pray  you,  or,  wherein  is  our  fault  ?  If 
there  is  an  honest  man  among  you,  of  which  we 
cannot  doubt,  we  shall  expect  to  see  your  reasons 
publicly  and  honestly  avowed;  and  if  we  are 
guilty  of  heresy  or  crime,  let  the  Christian  com- 
munity know  it,  that  we  may  be  shunned  by  all 
wlio  know  and  love  the  truth. 

" '  Is  it  heterodox  to  believe  that  Josus  Christ 
will  come  acrain  to  this  earth,  to  receive  his  saints 
to  himself,  and  to  reward  all  men  as  their  work 
shall  be  ?  If  so,  then  our  fathers,  and  our  min- 
isters, our  creeds,  and  our  Bibles,  have  taught  us 
heresy ;  and  from  our  infancy  we  have  misun- 
derstood our  teachers,  and  misapplied  our  Bible. 
Do  tell  us  what  mean  a  class  of  texts  like  these  ? 
John  1-i  :  3  :  "  And  if  I  go  and  prepare  a  place  for 
you,  I  will  come  again  and  receive  you  unto  my- 
self; that  where  I  am  there  ye  may  be  also." 
Acts  1:11:  "  Which  also  said.  Ye  men  of  Gali- 
lee, why  stand  ye  gazing  up  into  heaven  ?  This 
same  Jesus  which  is  taken  up  from  you  into 
heaven,  shall  so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have 
seen  him  go  into  heaven."  1  Pet.  1 :  7  and  13  : 
'•'  That  the  trial  of  our  faith,  being  much  more 
precious  than  of  gold  that  perisheth,  though  it 
may  be  tried  with  tire,  might  be  found  unto  praise, 

MiUer.  18 


274  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

and  honor,  and  gloiy,  at  the  appearing  of  Jesus 
Christ,  Wherefore,  gird  up  the  loins  of  your 
mind,  be  sober,  and  hope  to  the  end  for  the  grace 
that  is  to  be  brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation 
of  Jesus  Christ."  Rev.  1  :  7  :  "  Behold,  he  com- 
eth  with  clouds  ;  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and 
they  also  vi^hich  pierced  him ;  and  all  kindreds  of 
the  earth  shall  wail  because  of  him." 

'"Does  our  crime  consist  in  looking  for  him 
and  loving  his  appearing  ?  This,  too,  we  charge 
upon  our  fathers  and  teachers ;  we  have  heard, 
ever  since  we  had  consciousness,  as  our  duty  ex- 
plained and  enforced,  to  watch  and  look,  to  love 
and  be  prepared  for  his  return,  that  when  he 
comes  we  may  enter  into  the  marriage  supper  of 
the  Lamb.  We  also  have  Christ  and  the  apos- 
tles for  our  example  in  so  doing.  Witness  Matt. 
24  :  44  ;  25  :  13  ;  Mark  13  :  34-37  ;  Phil.  3  :  20, 
21 ;  2  Tim.  4:8;  Titus  2  :  13  ;  2  Pet.  3  :  12  ;  Eev. 
14:15. 

"  '  Or  are  we  to  be  severed  from  our  brethren 
because  we  believe  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testaments  to  be  the  true  prophecies  of  God  ; 
or  because  that  we  think  we  can  understand 
them,  and  see  in  the  history  of  our  world  their 
fulfillment  ?  Are  we  to  be  cut  off  from  our  con- 
nection with  your  churches  because  we  believe  as 
your  ministers  have  told  us  we  ought  to  tor  ages 
past  ?  Acts  24  :  14  :  "  But  this  I  confess  unto 
you,  that  after  the  way  which  they  call  heresy, 
so  worship  I  the  God  of  my  fathers,  believing  all 
things  which  are  written  in  the  law  and  in  the 
prophets."  2G  :  22  :  "  Having  therefore  obtained 
help  of  God,  I  continue  unto  this  day,  witnessing 
both  to  small  and  groat,  saying  none  other  things 
than  those  which  the  prophets  and  Moses  did  say 


ADDRESS   TO   ALL   DENOMINATIONS.  275 

should  come.  King  Agrippa,  believest  thou  the 
prophets  ?  "  1  Tim.  4:14:  "  That  thou  keep  this 
commandment  without  spot,  unrebukable,  until 
the  appearance  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Rev. 
1:4:  "  Blessed  is  he  that  readeth,  and  they  that 
hear  the  words  of  this  prophecy,  and  keep  those 
things  which  are  written  therein ;  for  the  time 
is  at  hand.' 

"  *  Again,  let  me  inquire  :  Are  we  treated  as 
heretics  because  we  believe  Christ  will  come  this 
year  ?  Are  we  not  all  commanded  to  watch  ? 
Mark  13  :  37  :  "  And  what  I  say  unto  you,  I  say 
unto  all.  Watch."  And  I  would  ask,  Is  it  not  our 
duty  to  watch  this  year  ?  If  so,  will  you  tell  us 
how  a  man  can  watch,  and  not  expect  the  object 
for  which  he  watches  ?  If  this  is  the  crime,  we 
plead  guilty  to  the  charge,  and  throw  ourselves 
upon  the  word  of  God,  and  the  example  of  our 
fathers,  to  justify  us  in  so  doing.  Eccl.  8  :  5,  G  : 
"  Whoso  keepeth  the  commandments  shall  feel  no 
evil  thing;  and  a  wise  man's  heart  discerneth 
both  time  and  judgment ;  because  to  every  pur- 
pose there  is  time  and  judgment."  Dan.  12:6, 
7 :  "  And  one  said  to  the  man  clothed  in  linen, 
which  was  upon  the  waters  of  the  river.  How 
long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these  wonders  ?  And 
I  heard  the  man  clothed  in  linen  which  was  upon 
the  waters  of  the  river,  when  he  held  up  his  right 
hand  and  his  left  hand  unto  heaven,  and  sware 
by  him  that  liveth  forever,  that  it  shall  be  for  a 
time,  times  and  a  half;  and  when  he  shall  have 
accomplished  to  scatter  the  power  of  the  holy 
people,  all  these  things  shall  be  finished."  1  Pet. 
1  : !),  13  :  "Receiving  the  end  of  your  faith,  even 
tlie  salvation  of  your  souls.  Of  which  salvation 
the  prophets  have   inquired   and  searched   dili- 


276  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

gently,  who  prophesied  of  the  grace  that  should 
come  unto  you  ;  searching  what,  or  what  manner 
of  time,  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them 
did  signify,  when  it  testified  beforehand  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christ,  and  the  glory  that  should  fol- 
low. Unto  whom  it  was  revealed,  that  not  unto 
themselves,  but  unto  us  they  did  minister  the 
things  which  are  now  reported  unto  you,  with 
the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from  Heaven  ;  which 
things  the  angels  desire  to  look  into.  Wherefore, 
gird  up  the  loins  of  your  mind,  bo  sober,  and  hope 
to  the  end  for  the  grace  that  is  to  be  brought 
unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ." 

"  '  Now,  if  we  are  wrong,  pray  show  us  wherein 
consists  our  wrong.  Show  us  from  the  word  of 
God  that  we  are  in  error ;  we  have  had  ridicule 
enough ;  that  can  never  convince  us  that  we  are 
in  the  wrong ;  the  word  of  God  alone  can  change 
our  views.  Our  conclusions  have  been  formed 
deliberately  and  prayerfully,  as  we  have  seen  the 
evidence  in  the  Scriptures ;  and  all  reasoning 
against  our  views  has  only  served  to  confirm  us 
in  them. 

"  '  Or,  are  you  ready  to  say  that  our  crime  con- 
sists in  examining  the  Bible  for  ourselves  ?  We 
have  inquired  "  Watchman,  what  of  the  night  ?  " 
We  have  besought  and  entreated  them  to  give  us 
any  signs  of  the  coming  morning,  and  have  waited 
patiently  for  an  answer ;  but  have  waited  in  vain  ; 
have  been  turned  off  with  some  German  or  French 
philosophy,  or  had  the  book  closed  in  our  face, 
and  been  insulted  for  our  deep  anxiety.  We 
have,  therefore,  been  obliged  to  study  for  our- 
selves ;  and  if  we  are  to  be  cut  off  for  honestly 
believing  in  the  exactness  of  prophetic  time,  then 
Scott  and  Wesley,  and  the  Newtons,  and  Mede, 


LECTURES  IN  WASHINGTON.  277 

Gill,  and  others,  should  all  bo  excommunicated 
for  the  like  offense.  We,  therefore,  once  more 
call  upon  you  to  show  us  our  errors  ;  and  until 
this  is  done,  we  must  continue  to  believe  the 
Lord  will  come  in  this  Jewish  year. 

" '  Wm.  Miller.' 

"On  the  17th  of  February,  Messrs.  Miller, 
Himes,  and  Elder  Josiah  Litch,  left  Philadelphia 
for  Washington  citj^,  which  they  reached  on  the 
20th.  On  the  evening  of  that  day  they  held 
their  first  meeting  in  the  Baptist  house,  near  the 
Navy-yard.  It  became  so  thronged  that,  on  the 
26th,  they  removed  to  the  Apollo  Hall,  near  the 
President's  mansion,  where  they  continued  till 
the  2d  of  March. 

"During  these  lectures,  on  the  28th  of  Febru- 
ary, the  'Peacemaker,'  on  board  of  the  'Prince- 
ton/ exploded,  killing  Colonel  Gardiner  and  Mr. 
Upshur,  the  United  States  Secretary  of  State, 
and  wounding  others.  That  event  added  interest 
and  solemnity  to  the  lectures,  and  caused  them 
to  be  more  fully  attended.  There  were  present 
at  the  lectures  a  goodly  number  of  persons  be- 
longing to  both  houses  of  Congress. 

"  Writing  from  Washington  on  the  day  of  that 
explosion,  but  before  the  occurrence,  Mr.  Miller 
said : — 

" '  They  throng  us  constantly  for  papers,  books, 
and  tracts,  wdiich  Bro.  Himes  is  scattering  wratu- 
itously  by  thousands,  containing  information  on 
this  subject.  They  send  in  from  this  vicinity 
and  from  "  old  Virginia"  for  papers  and  lecturers ; 
but  the  one-hundredth  part  of  their  I'equests  can 
never  be  complied  with.  Never  have  I  been  list- 
ened to  with  so  deep  a  feeling,  and  with  such 
intense  interest,  for  hours,' 


278  LIFE    OF    MILLER, 

"  Mr.  Miller  gave  nineteen  lectures  in  this 
place,  and  Messrs.  Himes  and  Litch  fifteen. 

"  Calls  for  them  to  extend  their  tour  further 
south  came  up  from  Charleston,  S.  C,  Savannah, 
Geo.,  Mobile,  Ala.,  and  from  many  other  of  the 
larger  places  in  the  Southern  States.  Some  of 
these  were  very  importunate,  but  previous  ar- 
rangements prevented  a  compliance  with  those 
requests. 

"  They  returned  north,  held  meetings  in  Balti- 
more from  the  3d  to  the  8th  of  March,  and,  on 
the  9th,  returned  to  Philadelphia.  There  Mr. 
Miller  gave  two  more  discourses  on  the  10th  ;  on 
the  11th  he  lectured  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  in  the 
Free  Presbyterian  meeting-house;  on  the  12th 
he  gave  one  discourse  in  New  York  ;  on  the  13th 
he  spoke  in  Brooklyn  and  Williamsbui'g,  N.  Y., 
and  on  the  14th  he  returned  to  Low  Hampton. 

"  He  seems  to  have  kept  no  minute  of  his  sub- 
sequent labors,  but  closes  his  note-book,  at  the 
termination  of  this  tour,  with  these  words  :  '  Now 
I  have  given,  since  1832,  three  thousand  two 
hundred  lecture^!. ' 


CHAPTER    XV. 

THE  PASSINO  OF  THE  TIME — HIS  POSITION — LINES  ON  HIS 
DISAPPOINTMENT — CONFESSION — VISIT  OF  ELD.  LITCH — 
MK.  MILLER  AND  THE  METHODIST  JIINISTERS — TOUK  TO 
OHIO — RETURN,    ETC. 

"The  vernal  equinox  of  1841  was  the  furthest 
point  of  time  to  which  Mr.  Miller's  calculation  of 
the  prophetic  periods  extended.  When  this  time 
passed,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Himes  as  follows : — 


PASSING    OF    THK    TIME,  279 

"'Low  llAMnoN,  March  25,  1844. 

" '  My  DilAR  Brother  Himes  : — I  am  now  seat- 
ed at  my  old  desk  in  my  east  room.  Having 
obtained  help  of  God  until  the  present  time,  I 
am  still  looking  for  the  dear  Saviour,  the  Son  of 
God  from  Heaven,  and  for  the  fulfillment  of  the 
promise  made  to  my  fathers,  and  confirmed  unto 
us  by  them  that  heard  him,  that  he  would  come 
again  and  would  receive  us  to  himself,  or  gather 
in  one  body  all  the  family  of  the  first-born  in 
Heaven  and  earth,  even  in  him.  This,  Paul  has 
told  us,  would  be  in  the  fullness  of  times.  Eph. 
1  :  9,  10. 

" '  The  time,  as  I  have  calculated  it,  is  now 
filled  up ;  and  I  expect  every  moment  to  see  the 
Saviour  descend  from  heaven.  I  have  now  noth- 
ing to  look  for  but  this  glorious  hope.  I  am  full 
in  the  faith  that  all  prophetic  chronology  except 
the  1000  years  in  the  20th  of  Rev.  is  now  about 
full.  Whether  God  designs  for  me  to  warn  the 
people  of  this  earth  any  more,  or  not,  I  am  at  a 
loss  to  know  ;  yet  I  mean  to  be  governed,  if  time 
should  continue  any  longer  than  I  have  expected, 
by  the  word  and  providence  of  Him  who  will 
never  err,  and  in  whom  I  think  I  have  trusted, 
and  been  supported  during  my  twelve  years  ar- 
duous labors,  in  trying  to  awaken  the  churches 
of  God,  and  the  Christian  community,  and  to 
warn  my  fellow-men  of  the  necessity  of  an  im- 
mediate preparation  to  meet  our  Judge  in  the 
day  of  his  appearing. 

"  '  I  hope  I  have  cleansed  my  garments  from  the 
blood  of  souls.  I  feel  that,  as  far  as  it  was  in 
my  power,  I  have  freed  myself  from  all  guilt  in 
their  condemnation.  It  is  true,  but  not  wonder- 
ful, when  we  become  ac({uainted  with  the  state 


280  LTFE    OF    MILLER. 

and  corruption  of  the  present  age  of  the  Laodi- 
cean church,  that  I  have  met  with  great  opposi- 
tion from  the  pulpit  and  professed  reh'gious  press ; 
and  I  have  been  instrumental,  through  the 
preaching  of  the  Advent  doctrine,  of  making  it 
quite  manifest,  that  not  a  few  of  our  theological 
teachers  are  infidels  in  disguise.  I  cannot  for  a 
moment  believe  that  denying  the  resurrection  of 
the  body,  or  the  return  of  Christ  to  this  earth,  or 
of  a  judgment  day  yet  future,  is  any  the  less  in- 
fidelity now  than  it  was  in  the  days  of  infidel 
France  ;  and  yet,  who  does  not  know  that  these 
things  are  as  common  as  pulpits  and  presses  are  ? 
And  which  of  these  questions  are  not  publicly 
denied  in  our  pulpits  and  by  the  writers  and  ed- 
itors of  the  public  papers  ? 

"'Surely,  we  have  fallen  on  strange  times.  I  ex- 
pected of  course  the  doctrine  of  Christ's  speedy 
coming  would  be  opposed  by  infidels,  blasphe- 
mers, drunkards,  gamblers  and  the  like ;  but  I 
did  not  expect  the  ministers  of  the  gospel  and 
professors  of  religion  would  unite  with  charac- 
ters of  the  above  description,  at  stores  and  pub- 
lic places,  in  ridiculing  the  solemn  doctrine  of 
the  Second  Advent.  Many  who  were  not  pro- 
fessors of  religion  have  aflirmed  to  me  these 
facts,  and  say  they  have  seen  them,  and  have 
felt  their  blood  chilled  at  the  sight. 

" '  These  are  some  of  the  effects  which  are  pro- 
duced by  preaching  this  solemn  and  soul-stirring 
doctrine  among  our  Pharisees  of  the  present  day. 
Is  it  possible  that  such  ministers  and  members 
are  obeying  God,  and  watching  and  praying  for 
his  glorious  appearing,  while  they  join  these 
scoffers  in  their  unholy  and  ungodly  remarks  ? 
If  Christ  does  come,  where  must  they  appear  ? 


PASSING    OP   THE   TIME.  281 

and  what  a  dreadful  account  they  will  iiieet  in 
that  tremendous  hour  ?  But  I  feel  almost  confi- 
dent that  my  labors  are  about  done,  and  I  am, 
with  a  deep  interest  of  soul,  looking  for  my 
blessed  and  glorious  Redeemer,  who  will  then  be 
King  over  all  the  earth,  and  God  with  us  forever- 
more. 

"  '  This  I  can  truly  say  is  my  chief  desire.  It 
is  my  meditation  all  the  day  long.  It  is  my  song 
in  the  night,  and  my  faith  and  hope  amidst  the 
scenes  of  this  sin-cursed  earth.  It  consoles  me 
in  sickness,  comforts  me  in  tribulation,  and  gives 
me  patience  to  endure  the  scoffs  and  tauntings  of 
an  ungodly,  selfish,  and  unfeeling  world.  My 
faith  and  confidence  in  God's  word  is  as  strong  as 
ever;  although  he  has  not  come  in  the  time  I  ex- 
pected. I  still  believe  the  time  is  not  far  off,  and 
that  God  will  soon,  yes,  too  soon  for  the  proud 
scoffers,  justify  himself,  his  word,  and  the  cry  of 
alarm  which  has  been  given  through  your  inde- 
fatigable labors,  with  others  whom  God  has 
raised  up  to  assist  in  giving  the  midnight  cry. 

"  '  I  am  highly  gratified  with  your  present  posi- 
tion ;  if  you  had  gone  to  criticising  words  in  or- 
der to  find  another  time,  yet  future,  men  would 
not  have  thought  you  honest  in  your  views, 
would  have  lost  all  confidence  in  you,  and  the 
good  you  have  done  would  have  been  neutralized, 
had  you  shifted  or  changed  your  ground. 

" '  You  have  good,  honest  and  sure  ground  yet 
to  stand  upon;  for  Christ  says,  "/So  likeim.se  ye 
tuhen  ye  shall  see  all  these  thinrjs,  know  that  he  is 
near,  even  ad  the  door."  Now  we  have  lived  to 
see  all  the  signs  fulfilled,  the  time  accomplished. 
"  Watch  therefore  :  for  ye  knovj  not  what  hour 
vour  Lord  doth  come." 


282  LIFE    OP    MILLEK. 

"  '  This  is  the  position  I  have  now  to  take,  and 
what  more  work  I  have  to  do,  will  be  done  in 
this  manner.     I  will, 

" '  1.  Prove  by  Scripture  and  History  that 
time  is  fulfilled. 

"'2.  Show  the  SIGNS  all  completed. 

" '  3.  The  duty  of  WATCHING,  for  we  knovv^ 
not  what  hour  the  Lord  may  come.  And  if 
God  has  anything  more  for  me  to  do  in  his  vine- 
yard, he  will  give  me  strength,  open  the  door, 
and  enable  me  to  do  whatever  may  be  his  will, 
for  his  glory  and  the  best  good  for  man. 

"  '  To  him  I  leave  the  event,  for  him  I  watch 
and  pray,  saying,  "Come,  Lord  Jesus,  come 
QUICKLY.     Amen.     Even  so,  come,  Lord  Jesus." 

"'William  Miller.' 

"  On  the  2d  of  May  he  wrote  as  follows  :  — 

"  '  TO    SECOND  ADVENT    BELIEVERS. 

"'Were  I  to  live  my  life  over  again,  with  the 
same  evidence  that  I  then  had,  to  be  honest  with 
God  and  man  I  should  have  to  do  as  I  have  done. 
Although  opposers  said  it  would  not  come,  they 
produced  no  weighty  arguments.  It  was  evi- 
dently guess-work  with  them  ;  and  I  then  thought, 
and  do  now,  that  their  denial  was  based  more  on 
an  unwillingness  for  the  Lord  to  come  than  on 
any  arguments  leading  to  such  a  conclusion. 

"  '  I  confess  my  error  and  acknowledge  my  dis- 
appointment ;  yet  I  still  believe  that  the  day  of 
the  Lord  is  near,  even  at  the  door ;  and  I  exhort 
you,  my  brethren,  to  be  watchful,  and  not  let 
that  day  come  upon  you  unawares.  The  wicked, 
the  proud,  and  the  bigot,  will  exult  over  us.     I 


TO    SECOND    ADVEXT    BELIEVERS.  283 

will  try  to  be  patient.  God  will  deliver  the  godly 
out  of  temptation,  and  will  reserve  the  unjust  to 
be  punished  at  Christ's  appearing. 

" '  I  want  you,  my  brethren,  not  to  be  drawn 
away  from  the  truth.  Do  not,  I  pray  you,  neg- 
lect the  Scriptures.  They  are  able  to  make  you 
wise  unto  eternal  life.  Let  us  be  careful  not  to 
be  drawn  away  from  the  manner  and  object  of 
Christ's  coming ;  for  the  next  attack  of  the  ad- 
versary will  be  to  induce  unbelief  respecting  these. 
The  manner  of  Christ's  coming  has  been  well  dis- 
cussed. 

"  Shortly  after  this  he  wrote  the  following  lines 
respecting  his  disappointment : — 

"  '  How  tedious  and  lonesome  the  hours, 
\Yhile  Jesus,  my  Savioixr,  delays  ! 
I  have  sought  him  in  solitude's  bowers, 
And  looked  for  him  all  the  long  days. 

' ' '  Yet  he  lingers — I  pray  tell  me  why 
His  chariot  no  sooner  returns  ? 
To  see  him  in  clouds  of  the  sky, 
My  soul  with  intensity  burns. 

"  '  1  long  to  be  with  him  at  home, 

My  heart  swallowed  up  in  his  love, 
On  the  fields  of  New  Eden  to  roam, 
And  to  dwell  with  my  Saviour  above.' 

"During  the  last  week  of  May,  the  Annual 
Conference  of  Adventists  was  held  in  the  Taber- 
nacle at  Boston.  Mr.  Miller  was  present,  and,  at 
the  close  of  one  of  the  meetings,  in  accordance 
with  a  previous  notice,  arose,  and  frankly  con- 
fessed his  mistake  in  the  definite  time  at  which 
he  supposed  the  prophetic  periods  would  have 
terminated.  The  following  notice  of  this  confes- 
sion,  written  by  a  hearer,  appeared  in  the  Boston 
Pod  on  the  1st  of  June  followinof: — 


284  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

"  '  Father  Miller's  Confession. — Many  peo- 
})le  were  desirous  of  hearing  what  was  termed 
Father  Miller's  Confession,  which,  according  to 
rumor,  was  to  be  delivered  at  the  Tabernacle  on 
Tuesday  evening  last,  when  and  where  a  large 
concourse  assembled,  myself  among  the  number, 
to  hear  the  "  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter ;  " 
and  I  confess  I  was  well  paid  for  my  time  and 
trouble.  I  should  judge,  also,  by  the  appearance 
of  the  audience,  and  the  remarks  I  heard  from 
one  or  two  gentlemen  not  of  Mr.  Miller's  faith, 
that  a  general  satisfaction  was  felt.  I  never 
heard  him  when  he  was  more  eloquent  or  ani- 
mated, or  more  happy  in  communicating  his  feel- 
ings and  sentiments  to  others.  Want  of  time  and 
space  will  not  permit  me  to  give  even  a  mere 
sketch  of  his  remarks,  which  occupied  more  than 
an  hour.  He  confessed  that  he  had  been  disap- 
pointed, but  by  no  means  discouraged  or  shaken 
in  his  faith  in  God's  goodness,  or  in  the  entire 
fulfillment  of  his  word,  or  in  the  speedy  coming 
of  our  Saviour,  and  the  destruction  of  the  world. 
Although  the  supposed  time  had  passed,  God's 
time  had  not  passed.  "  If  the  vision  tarry,  wait 
for  it."  He  remained  firm  in  the  belief  that  the 
end  of  all  things  is  at  hand,  even  at  the  door. 
He  spoke  with  much  feeling  and  effect,  and  left 
no  doubt  of  his  sincerity.  I).' 

"  His  disappointment  in  the  passing  of  the  time 
was  great ;  but  it  did  not  at  all  impair  his  confi- 
dence in  God,  or  affect  his  usual  cheerfulness  of 
disposition.  Eld.  Josiah  Litch,  who  visited  him 
on  the  8th  of  June,  at  Low  Hampton,  thus 
wrote : — 


WESTERN   TOUR,   AND    LABORS.  285 

"  '  I  found  both  himself  and  family  well  and  in 
fine  spirits.  Indeed,  I  have  never  seen  him 
when  he  seemed  to  enjoy  himself  better  than  at 
present.  If  any  evidence  of  his  sincerity  in 
preaching  tlie  advent  of  Christ  in  1843  were 
wanting,  in  addition  to  his  arduous  and  unrequited 
toil  of  twelve  years,  his  present  humble  submis- 
sion to  his  disappointment,  and  the  spirit  of 
meekness  with  which  the  confession  of  disap- 
pointment is  made,  is  sufficient  to  satisfy  the 
most  incredulous  that  nothing  but  a  deep  convic- 
tion of  duty  to  God  and  man  could  have  moved 
such  a  man  to  such  a  work.  That  he  is  greatly 
disappointed  in  not  seeing  the  Lord  within  the 
expected  time,  must  be  evident  to  all  who  hear 
liim  speak ;  while  the  tearful  eye  and  subdued 
voice  show  from  whence  flow  the  words  he  utters. 

"'Although  disappointed  as  to  time,  I  never 
saw  him  more  strong  than  now  in  the  general 
correctness  of  his  expositions  of  Scripture  and 
calculation  of  prophetic  times,  and  in  the  faith  of 
our  Lord's  speedy  coming.' 

"  In  company  with  his  son  George  and  Mr, 
Himes,  Mr.  Miller  left  home  on  the  21st  of  July, 
1844,  for  a  tour  as  far  west  as  Cincinnati.  They 
reached  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on  the  23d,  and  on  the 
24th  commenced  a  series  of  meetings  in  a  beauti- 
ful grove  in  Scottsville,  near  that  city.  Mr.  Mil- 
ler was  listened  to  with  unusual  interest. 

"  From  Rochester  they  visited  Buffalo,  N.  Y., 
Toronto,  C.  W.,  Lockport,  N.  Y.,  Cleveland,  Ak- 
ron, Cincinnati,  and  other  places  in  Ohio.  At 
this  last  place  he  lectured,  on  the  evening  of  Au- 
gust 19,  to  an  audience  of  about  four  thousand 
persons,  and  continued  there  one  week. 

"  They  had  proposed  going  further  west,  but 


286  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

freshets  in  the  rivers  in  those  parts  prevented. 
They  returned  from  Cincinnati,  up  the  Ohio  and 
Muskingum  rivers,  to  McConnellsville,  which 
they  reached  on  the  28th  of  August,  and  where 
Mr.  M.  delivered  five  lectures. 

"  On  the  2d  of  September  they  left  this  place 
by  steamboat,  down  the  Muskingum  river  to 
Marietta,  from  thence  to  take  a  boat  to  Pittsbure:, 
on  their  way  to  Philadelphia.  On  board  the 
boat  for  Marietta  they  found  from  thirty  to  forty 
Methodist  ministers,  who  were  on  their  way  to 
attend  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Conference  in 
that  city. 

"  Mr.  M.  noticed  some  sly  glances  from  one  to 
another,  which  seemed  to  say,  '  We  will  have 
some  sport  with  the  old  gentleman.'  He,  how- 
ever, took  no  notice  of  them,  but  went  to  a  re- 
tired part  of  the  deck,  and  commenced  reading. 
Soon  a  dandy-looking  minister  walked  past  him 
several  times,  and  finally  asked  him  : — 

" '  Is  your  name  Miller  ? ' 

"  Mr.  M.  replied  in  the  affirmative,  and  kept 
on  reading, 

"  He  then  asked  him  if  he  was  the  Miller  who 
had  prophesied  the  end  of  the  world. 

"  Mr.  M.  said  he  did  not  prophesy,  but  supposed 
that  he  was  the  one  to  whom  he  referred. 

"  The  minister  said  that  he  did  not  believe  we 
could  know  when  the  world  was  to  end. 

"  Mr.  M.,  thinkinsr  he  had  a  rio^ht  to  his  unbe- 
lief,  made  no  reply. 

"  The  minister  then  said  he  did  not  believe  God 
had  revealed  the  time. 

"  Mr.  M.  replied  that  he  could  prove  by  the 
Bible  that  God  had  revealed  it ;  and  that,  if  he 
was  an  honest  man,  he  would  make  him  acknowl- 


INTERVIEW   WITH    METHODIST   MINISTERS,        287 

edge  it,  by  asking  him  a  few  questions  in  refer- 
ence to  the  Bible,  if  he  would  answer  them. 

"  The  man  retired,  procured  his  Bible,  and  re- 
turned with  about  twenty  other  ministers,  who 
gathered  around  him.  An  elderly  one,  who 
looked  like  an  honest  man,  took  his  seat  in  front, 
on  the  capstan.  All  were  attention.  Mr.  M. 
asked  the  man  to  read  the  first  three  verses  of 
Dan.  12. 

"  This  he  did  aloud. 

"Mr.  M.  then  asked  if  the  resurrection  was 
brought  to  view  in  those  verses. 

"The  man  looked  at  them  for  a  while,  and 
said  he  did  not  know  that  it  was. 

"Mr.  M.  asked  him  if  he  would  tell  what 
they  did  mean. 

"  He  said  he  did  not  choose  to  do  so. 

"  '  Oh  !  very  well,'  said  Mr.  M. ;  '  we  have  noth- 
ing more  to  say  together;  for  I  did  not  agree 
to  convince  you,  if  you  would  not  answer  a  few 
questions.' 

"  The  elderly  minister  then  asked  him  why  he 
would  not  answer. 

" '  Because  T  do  not  choose  to  do  so.' 

" '  Why,'  said  the  old  gentleman,  '  I  should 
have  no  objection  to  answering  that  question.  It 
does  refer  to  the  resurrection.' 

" '  Well,  father,'  said  Mr.  M.,  '  I  perceive  you 
are  an  honest  man.  I  will,  if  you  please,  ask 
1/ou  a  few  questions.' 

"  The  old  gentleman  said  he  would  answer 
them  if  he  could. 

"  Mr.  M.  asked  him  to  read  the  6th  verse — 
'  How  long  shall  it  be  to  the  end  of  these  won- 
ders ? ' — and  say  what  wonders  were  referred  to. 

"The    dandy    minister    then    spoke — 'Don't 


288  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

answer  that  question ;  he  will  make  a  MilUrite 
of  you.' 

"  The  elderly  minister  said  he  was  not  afraid 
of  the  Bible,  let  it  make  what  it  would  of  him ; 
and  replied,  that  the  '  wonders '  referred  to  must 
mean  the  resurrection,  &c. 

" '  Well/  said  Mr.  M.,  '  is  the  reply  of  the  one 
clothed  in  linen,  who  sware  "  that  it  should  be 
for  a  time,  times,  and  an  half,"  given  in  answer 
to  the  question,  how  long  it  will  be  to  the  resur- 
rection ?' 

"  Here  the  dandy  minister  again  spoke — '  Don't 
answ^er  that  question;  for,  if  you  do,  he  will 
make  a  Millerite  of  you.' 

"The  other  gave  him  to  understand  that  he 
was  afraid  of  no  result  to  which  an  honest  in- 
vestigation of  the  Scriptures  might  lead,  and 
that  he  should  answer  any  questions  he  choose 
to.  The  admission  of  the  dandy  minister,  that 
honest  answers  could  not  be  given  to  a  few 
simple  questions  on  a  portion  of  Scripture,  with- 
out making  men  '  Millerites,'  excited  the  interest 
of  all  to  the  highest  point. 

"  The  elderly  minister  replied  that  he  thought 
it  must  be  given  in  answer  to  that  question, 

"  On  hearing  the  answer,  the  dandy  minister 
shrunk  back,  closed  his  mouth,  and  interfered  no 
more. 

"Mr.  M.  asked  v/ho  it  was  that  gave  this 
answer. 

"The  other  readily  replied  that  he  was  un- 
doubtedly the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

" '  Well,  then,'  said  Mr.  M.,  '  if  the  Lord  Jesus 
C!hrist,  in  answer  to  the  question,  llow  long  it 
should  be  to  the  resurrection,  has  sworn  with  an 


I 


INTERVIEW    WITH    METHODIST   MINISTERS.        289 

ualli  Uiat  it  shall  bo  for  a  time,  times,  and  an 
half,  is  not  the  time  revealed  ?' 

" '  But/  said  the  other,  '  you  can't  tell  what  that 
time,  times,  and  an  half  mean.' 

" '  I  did  not  agree,'  said  Mr.  M.,  '  to  do  that ; 
ouv  uur1ersfaj}din<y  o^  it  is  another  thing.  But 
has  not  God  there  revealed  the  time,  and  sworn 
to  it  with  an  oath  ? ' 

" '  Yes,'  said  the  other,  '  he  has.' 

"  '  Well,  then,'  said  Mr.  M.,  '  I  have  proved  all  I 
agreed  to.' 

"  '  AVhy,'  said  the  minister,  '  I  never  saw  this 
in  this  light  before.  Can  you  tell  what  is 
meant  by  time,  times,  and  an  half?' 

"Mr.  j\f.  '1  will  try.  Read,  if  you  please,  the 
Gth  verse  of  Rev.  12.' 

"  3Iin..  '  "And  the  woman  fled  into  the  wilder- 
ness, where  she  hath  a  place  prepared  of  God, 
that  they  sliould  feed  her  there  a  thousand  two 
hundred  and  three-score  days."  ' 

"Mr.  M.  'Now  read  the  14th  verse.' 

"  Min.  ' "  And  to  the  woman  were  given  two 
wings  of  a  great  eagle,  that  she  might  fly  into 
the  wilderness,  into  her  place,  where  she  is  nour- 
ished for  a  time,  and  times,  and  half  a  time." ' 

"  ^fr.  2[.  '  Do  not  those  two  denote  the  same 
period  of  time  ?' 

"Mln.  'Yes.' 

" Mr.  M.  'Then  must  not  the  time  given  in 
answer  to  the  question  be  the  same  as  the  12G0 
days  ? ' 

"  The  minister  acknowledged  it  must  be  so. 

"  Mr.  M.  pointed  him  to  the  various  places  where 
the  same  period  is  presented  under  difterent  forms, 
— forty-two  months,  1 260  days,  time,  time?,  and 

Miller,  19 


290  LIFE    OF    MILLEK. 

half  a  time— and  showed  him  how  SO  days  to  a 
month,  and  12  months  to  a  year,  would  make  3^ 
years,  equal  to  12G0  days.  He  then  asked  him 
if  we  might  not  know  that  God  had  revealed  the 
time  to  the  resurrection  in  days. 

"  He  said,  Yes ;  but  asked  if  we  could  know  how 
to  reckon  them. 

"  Mr.  M.  pointed  him  to  Dan.  7 :  25,  the  time 
of  the  continuance  of  the  saints  in  the  hands  of 
the  little  horn,  a  period  of  the  same  length,  and 
asked  if  that  could  denote  simply  1260  clays ;  '  for  ' 
said  he,  '  you  know  that  they  persecuted  the  saints 
more  than  so  many  literal  days.' 

"  This  he  admitted ;  but  asked,  if  not  literal 
days,  what  they  were. 

"Mr,  M.  showed  him  that  the  language  was 
symbolical ;  that  if  it  had  been  given  in  literal 
time,  it  would  have  had  a  bad  effect  on  past  gen- 
erations, as  they  would  have  seen  that  the  judg- 
ment could  not  come  in  their  day,  and  they  might 
not  have  lived  in  continual  readiness  for  it,  as 
they  should  do.  He  then  referred  to  Num.  14  : 
34,  and  Eze.  4 :  G,  where  God  has  appointed  a 
day  for  a  year ;  showed  him  how  the  70  weeks 
were  fulfilled  in  490  years — as  many  years  as 
there  were  days  in  70  weeks — and  showed  there 
were  just  1260  years  from  the  time  the  decree  of 
Justinian  went  into  effect,  A.  D.  538,  to  1798,  when 
the  papacy  was  subverted  by  Napoleon. 

"  The  minister  acknowledged  the  pertinency  of 
these  references,  and  confessed  that  the  time  sworn 
to  by  Christ  must  denote  1260  years. 

"  Mr.  M.  then  showed  how  the  2300  days  and 
the  four  great  kingdoms,  kc,  bring  us  down  to 
the  end,  and  how  they  must  terminate  about  this 
time ;  but  confessed  that  the  expected  time  had 


JIINISTKRS    AND    HELICIOUS    EDITORS.  291 

gone  by.  He  spoke  al>oufc  an  Lour,  during  which 
the  strictest  attention  was  given  1)y  tliose  who 
stood  around.  lALiny  confessed  they  never  thouglit 
that '  Millerism '  was  anything  like  that. 

"  On  arriving  at  Marietta,  Mr.  M.  was  detained 
a  part  of  the  next  day  in  the  boat,  and  the  in- 
habitants came  down  with  the  request  that  he 
wouhl  stop  and  lecture,  offering  him  the  Method- 
ist house.  But  he  was  obliged  to  hasten  on,  and 
could  not  comply  w^ith  their  invitation, 

"  They  arrived  at  Harrisburg,  Pa.,  on  Sunday, 
the  8th,  and  lectured  four  days  in  the  old  Meth- 
odist chapel  to  good  audiences.  On  the  11th  Mr. 
Miller  wrote  to  the  Signs  of  the  Times  as  fol- 
lows : — 

"  'Harrisburg,  Sept.  H,  1844. 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Blis.s  :— We  are  now  in  this  place 
laboring  to  prove  to  the  people  that  the  Bible  is 
the  revealed  will  of  God,  and  that  all  may  and 
will  be  known  which  concerns  us,  to  make  us 
perfect  in  every  good  work,  by  every  sincere  and 
candid  inrjuirer,  in  this  age  of  general  expectation 
of  some  moral  or  physical  revolution  in  the  earth. 
And  we  believe,  and  we  so  teach,  that  the  revolu- 
tion so  much  expected,  and  so  long  desired  by 
every  child  of  God,  is  the  coming  of  King  Jesus, 
the  marriage  of  the  Lamb,  and  the  completion  of 
all  the  promises  given  us  who  believe  in  God's 
word.  We  are  as  confident  as  faith  in  the  blessed 
word  can  make  us,  that  Christ  is  now  at  the  very 
door,  and  soon  our  wondering  eyes  will  be  ra\-ished 
by  all  the  beauty,  splendor,  pomp  and  glory  of 
our  descending  King. 

"'These  thoughts  make  me  ha])py  while  1  write; 
but,  0  God  !  what  then  w411  be  my  feelings,  when 


292  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

iiiitli  Will  eii»l  ill  sight,  and  hope  in  iiiiiiioii  !  I 
know  tliat  iiiy  ininJ  is  too  feeble  to  imagine,  my 
faculties  too  weak  to  comprehend  the  emotion  of 
my  soul,  when  I  shall  stand  before  him ;  yes,  and 
see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  like  him  ;  yes,  more  than 
that,  ten  times  more  grand,  more  glorious  still 
than  all,  shall  be  forever  Avith  him.  No  more  a 
stranger  in  this  giddy  world,  no  more  a  pilgrim 
from  the  dizzy  maze  of  life's  ten  thousand  cares, 
no  more  a  wanderer  from  my  Father's  house,  no 
more  to  meet  the  scoffs  of  friends  or  foes,  or  meet 
the  upturned  lip,  or  curl  of  s(torn  from  that  black 
coat,  and  hear  the  oft-repeated  epithet,  in  accents 
of  deep  derision,  "  There  goes  old  MUlev."  My 
soul  rejoices  when  I  think  a  few  more  days,  at 
most,  and  all  tlicse  scenes  will  be  forgotten  in 
the  eternal  sunshine  of  his  glory.  Why  not  be- 
gin the  song  of  eveilasting  gratitude  to  God  for 
this  blessed  hope. 

' "  I  find  in  every  })1acc  where  Bro.  Himes  and 
myself  have  traveled  and  labored,  the  same  self- 
ish, Pharisaical  bigotry  among  the  sects,  and  more 
especially  among  the  several  editors  of  pretended 
religious  newspapers.  Many  of  these  misrepre- 
sent and  falsely  accuse  their  brethren  of  other 
sects  in  their  trade — and  they  only  fatten  on  the 
destruction  of  those  who  do  not  wear  their  secta- 
rian badge.  This  would  be  a  dark  picture  for 
the  Christian  religion,  were  it  not  for  a  few  ex- 
ceptions in  the  moral  heavens  ;  but  there  is  now 
and  then  a  brilliant  star  in  the  galaxy,  that  shines 
the  brighter  in  consequence  of  the  surrounding 
darkness ;  and  in  every  sect  we  find  a  few  of  their 
numbers  whose  faithful  hearts  and  honest  lives 
denote  they  have  not  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal. 
Were  it  not  for  this,  I  long  ago  would  have  yielded 


UELKilOUS    EUITOKS.  293 

Up  tlie  point,  that  wicked  men  and  devils,  and 
the  gates  of  hell,  had  in  this  our  day  prevailed 
against  the  church.  But  thank  the  Lord,  a  rem- 
nant yet  is  left ;  the  Bible  yet  is  true,  and  these 
men  are  but  the  tares  which  soon  will  be  gathered 
and  burned.     I  do  believe  few  men  wiU  be  left. 

" '  The  organ  of  the  "  Church  of  God,"  so  called, 
in  this  place,  has  spit  his  venom  out,  and  I  hope 
his  poison  will  not  taint  his  own  body ;  but  if  it 
does,  and  should  he  reap  the  fruits,  I  hope  he  will 
remember  his  false  assertions  only  go  to  show  the 
bird  was  hit,  and  all  his  gall  falls  harmless  at  the 
feet  of  those  he  meant  to  wound.  I  will  write 
you  again  when  I  get  home. 

"'I  remain  as  ever  "looking  for  the  blessed 
hope,"  kc.  William  Miller.' 

"  They  then  passed  on  to  Middletown,  where 
they  remained  two  days ;  to  Sandersville,  where 
Mr.  M.  gave  one  lecture ;  and  to  Philadelphia, 
where  they  arrived  on  the  1-ith  of  September. 
On  the  16th,  Mr.  M.  commenced  his  lectures  at 
the  Museum  Saloon,  in  Julian  street. 

"On  the  19th,  Mr.  M.  reached  New  York  city, 
and  the  next  day  gave  a  discourse  in  Franklin 
Hall.  On  Sunday,  r.  m.,  he  preached  in  the  church 
in  Chrystie  street,  from  these  words :  '  But  this 
I  confess  unto  thee,  that  after  the  way  which  they 
call  heresy,  so  worship  I  the  God  of  my  fathers, 
believing  all  things  that  are  written  in  the  la\v 
and  the  prophets;  and  have  hope  toward  God, 
which  they  themselves  also  allow,  that  there  shall 
be  a  resurrection  of  the  dead,  both  of  the  just  and 
unjust.'  Acts  24: 14,  15.  He  spoke  with  great 
case  and  clearness  respecting  the  reasons  which 
had  fixed  his  rnind  on  1843,     He  acknowledged 


294  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

that  there  had  been  a  mistake,  but  expressed  his 
assurance  in  the  near  coming  of  Christ,  for  which 
event  he  entreated  all  to  be  in  readiness.  In  the 
evening,  he  spoke  in  the  same  place,  to  a  crowded 
and  attentive  audience,  upon  the  seven  last 
plagues  of  Rev.  16:15-17,  six  of  which  he  be- 
lieved had  been  poured  out  during  the  last  three 
hundred  years. 

"  His  health  was  at  this  time  suffering  consid- 
erably from  the  fatigues  of  the  western  tour; 
and,  feeling  it  his  duty  to  rest  for  a  season,  he 
declined  the  many  urgent  invitations  which  were 
then  pressing  upon  him  for  lectures  elsewhere, 
and  returned  to  his  family  at  Low  Hampton. 
From  that  place  he  wrote  as  follows  : — 

"  '  September  30,  1844. 

" '  Dear  Brother  :— I  am  once  more  at  home, 
worn  down  with  the  fatigue  of  my  journey,  my 
strength  so  exhausted  and  my  bodily  infirmities 
so  great  that  I  am  about  concluding  I  shall  never 
be  able  again  to  labor  in  the  vineyard  as  hereto- 
fore. I  wish  now  to  remember  with  gratitude 
all  those  who  have  assisted  me  in  my  endeavors 
to  awaken  the  church  and  arouse  tlie  world  to  a 
sense  of  their  awful  danger. 

" '  I  pray  God,  my  brethren  and  sisters,  that 
you  may  receive  a  I'cward  in  this  life  of  a  hun- 
dred fold,  and,  in  the  world  to  come,  eternal  life. 
Many  of  you  have  sacrificed  much — your  good 
names,  former  associations,  flattering  prospects  in 
life,  occupation,  and  goods ;  and  with  me  you 
have  received  scorn,  reproach,  and  scandal  from 
those  whom  it  Avas  our  souls'  desire  to  benefit. 
Yet  not  one  of  you  to  ivhorn  my  conjldence  Jids 
erer  been  giren,  has,  to  my  knowledge,  murmui'e<l 


I 


SEVENTH    MONTH    MOVE.MENT.  295 

or  complained.  You  have  cheerfully  endured  the 
cross,  despised  the  shame,  and  with  me  are  look- 
ing for  and  expecting  the  King  in  all  his  glory. 
This  is  to  me  a  cause  of  gratitude  to  God.  May 
he  preserve  you  unto  the  end.  There  have  been 
deceivers  among  us,  but  God  has  preserved  me 
from  giving  them  my  confidence  to  deceive  or 

betray 

" '  William  Miller/ 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE  SEVENTH  MONTH  MOVEMENT  —  DISAPPOINTMENT — 
TEE  NOBLEMAN  AND  HIS  SEE,VANTS  —  NEED  OF  PA- 
TIENCE—CONFERENCE  AT   LOW  HAMPTON — ETC. 

"  For  a  few  months  previous  to  this  time,  the 
attention  of  some  had  been  directed  to  the  tenth 
day  of  the  seventh  month  of  the  current  Jewisli 
year,  as  the  probable  termination  of  several  pro- 
phetic periods.  This  was  not  generally  received 
with  favor  by  those  who  sympathized  with  Mr. 
Miller,  till  a  few  weeks  previous  to  the  time  des- 
ignated, which,  on  that  year,  following  the  reck- 
oning of  the  Caraite  Jews,  fell  on  the  2  2d  day  of 
October.  Mr.  Miller  had,  a  year  and  a  half  pre- 
vious, called  attention  to  the  seventh  month*  as  an 


*  "  1.  The  ark  rested  on  the  seventh  month,  seventeenth  day. 
This  has  an  appearance  of  a  type,  the  rest  of  the  gospel  ark  at  the 
judgment.     Gen.  8  :  4. 

"2.  The  sanctuary  and  worshipers,  and  all  appertaining  to  it, 
were  cleansed  on  the  seventh  month,  tentli  to  seventeenth  day. 
Lev.  li; :  29-34.    Surely  this  is  a  type. 

'•  :J.  The  Israelites  of  God  were  to  afflict  (heir  sou's,  from  the 


296  LIFK    OF   MlLLKl?. 

important  one  in  tbo  Jewish  dispensation ;  but  as 
late  as  the  date  of  his  last  letter  (September  80, 
1844,)  he  had  discountenanced  the  positiveness 
with  which  some  were  then  regarding  it.  On  the 
6th  of  October  he  was  first  led  to  favor  the  expecta- 
tion which  pointed  to  that  month,  and  thus  wrote  : 
'  If  Christ  does  not  come  v\^ithin  twenty  or  twenty- 
fi.ve  days,  I  shall  feel  twice  the  disappointment  I 
did  in  the  spring.' 

"About  the  same  time,  also,  the  belief  in  the 
given  day  was  generally  received.  There  were 
exceptions,  but  it  is  the  duty  of  the  impartial 
historian  to  record  the  fact  that  those  who  had 


evening  of  the  ninth  to  the  evening  of  the  tenth  day,  seventh 
mouth.     Lev.  23  :  27-32,  a  type  of  the  troubles,  Dan.  12  :1. 

"4.  The  holy  convocation  of  all  Israel,  seventh  month,  l-l,"itli 
day,  Lev.  23:  24  ;  Num.  29  :L  Is  not  this  a  type  of  the  gather- 
ing of  the  elect  V    Ps.  81  : 3,  4  ;  98  :  6-9. 

"5.  The  great  feast,  seventh  month,  fifteenth  day,  all  Israel  ap- 
peared before  the  Lord.  Lev.  23  :34;  1  Kings  8  :2.  Type  of  the 
marriage  supper.     Ileb.  9  : 9,  10. 

"6.  The  jubilee  trump  sounded,  seventh  month,  tenth  day, 
throughout  "all  the  land.  Lev.  25  :  9,  10.  Type  of  final  redemp- 
tion.    1  Thess.  4  :  14.-17. 

"7.  The  time  of  release  of  all  Hebrews  iu  bondage,  seventh 
month,  fifteenth  day.  Dent.  15 :  115  ;  31  :  10,  11 ;  Jer.  34  :  8-14, 
at  the  feast  of  the  tabernacles.  This  evidently  is  typical  of  the 
release  of  the  Israel  of  God. 

"8.  The  atonement  was  made  on  the  tenth  day  of  the  seventh 
month,  and  is  certainly  typical  of  the  atonement  Christ  is  now 
making  for  us.     Lev.  IG  :"l-34,  antitype.     Ileb.  0:1-28. 

"  9.  When  the  high  priest  came  out  of  the  holy  of  holies  after 
making  the  atonement,  he  blessed  the  i>eople.  Lev.  9:  22.  28;  2 
Sam.  0:1S.  8o  will  our  great  High  I'riest.  Ileb.  9  :  2^;.  This 
was  on  the  seventh  month,  tenth  day. 

"10.  This  was  in  harvest  time,  the  feast  of  harvest  was  kejH  in 
the  seventh  month,  I'rom  the  tenth  day  to  the  seventeenth.  Lev. 
23  :10.  And  the  end  of  the  world  is  compared  to  the  harvest. 
Matt.  13  :  30.     Christ  says  plain  in  "  harvest  time." 

"11.  Also  in  the  feast  of  tabernacles,  in  the  great  day  of  the 
feast  in  the  last  day.  John  7  :  2,  37.  So  in  the  last  great  day, 
Jesus'  voice  will  call  I'orth  the  righteous  dead.  John  5  :  28,  29; 
1  Thess.  4  :  li;."  ■  -  ]l'iii.  Milln-  in  Si^jnt:  of  thr  TlimR  for  2fau  17, 
1843 


SEVENTU    MONTH    MOVEMENT.  297 

embraced  the  views  of  Mr.  Miller  did,  with  great 
unanimity,  heartily  and  honestly  believe  that  on 
a  given  day  they  should  behold  the  coming  of  the 
King  of  glory. 

"  The  world  cannot  understand  how  that  could 
be ;  and  many  who  professed  the  name  of  Christ, 
have  spoken  contemptuously  of  such  an  expecta- 
tion. But  those  who  in  sincerity  love  the  Sav- 
iour, can  never  feel  the  least  emotion  of  contempt 
for  such  a  hope.  The  effect  on  those  entertain- 
ing this  belief  is  thus  described  by  Mr.  Miller,  in 
a  letter  dated  October  11, 1844 : — 

" '  I  think  I  have  never  seen  among  our  breth- 
ren such  faith  as  is  manifested  in  the  seventh 
month,  "  He  will  come,"  is  the  common  expres- 
sion. "  He  will  not  tarry  the  second  time,"  is  their 
general  reply.  There  is  a  forsaking  of  the  world, 
an  unconcern  for  the  wants  of  life,  a  general  search- 
ing of  heart,  confession  of  sin,  and  a  deep  feeling 
in  prayer  for  Christ  to  come,  A  preparation  of 
heart  to  meet  him  seems  to  be  the  labor  of  their 
agonizing  spirits.  There  is  something  in  this 
present  waking  up  different  from  anything  I  have 
ever  before  seen.  There  is  no  great  expression 
of  joy :  that  is,  as  it  were,  suppressed  for  a  future 
occasion,  when  all  Heaven  and  earth  will  rejoice 
together  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory. 
There  is  no  shouting ;  that,  too,  is  reserved  for 
the  shout  from  Heaven.  The  singers  are  silent : 
they  are  waiting  to  join  the  angelic  hosts,  the 
choir  from  Heaven.  No  arguments  are  used  or 
needed :  all  seem  convinced  that  they  have  the 
truth.  There  is  no  clashing  of  sentiments :  all 
are  of  one  heart  and  of  one  mind.  Our  meetings 
are  all  occupied  ^\ itli  ]irayci',  and  exhortation  to 
htvo  and  ol»edience.     The  general  expression  is, 


298  l;IFK    OF    MILLER. 

"  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh ;  go  ye  out  to 
meet  him."     Amen.     Even  so  come,  Lord  Jesus. 

"'William  Miller.' 

"  The  natural  heart  would  be  unable  to  realize 
that  any  emotion,  but  that  of  fear  and  dread, 
could  fill  the  minds  of  those  thus  believing.  But 
when  the  secrets  of  the  great  day  shall  be  made 
known,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  coming  of  Christ 
was  ardently  desired  by  them,  and  that  their 
hearts  were  filled  with  a  holy  joy,  while  they 
were  subdued  by  awe,  as  standing  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Governor  of  the  universe.  The  state 
of  mind  thus  produced  was  a  great  moral  spec- 
tacle, upon  which  those  who  participated  in  it 
will  ever  look  back  with  pleasure,  and  without 
regret. 

"  The  time  immediately  preceding  the  22d  of 
October  was  one  of  great  calmness  of  mind  and 
of  pleasurable  expectation  on  the  part  of  those 
who  regarded  that  point  of  time  with  interest. 
There  was  a  nearness  of  approach  to  God,  and  a 
sweetness  of  communion  AAdth*  him,  to  which 
those  who  experienced  it  will  ever  recur  with 
pleasure.  During  the  last  ten  days,  secular  busi- 
ness was,  for  the  most  part,  suspended ;  and  those 
who  looked  for  the  advent  gave  themselves  to 
the  work  of  prepai'ation  for  that  event,  as  they 
would  for  death,  were  they  on  a  bed  of  sickness 
expecting  soon  to  close  their  eyes  on  earthly 
scenes  forever. 

"  There  were  some  cases  of  extravagance,  as 
there  have  been  in  all  great  movements ;  and  it 
would  have  been  strange  had  there  not  been.  But 
the  published  accounts  of  these  were  greatly  ex- 
aggerated, and  hundreds  of  repoitshad  nofounda- 


SEVKNTir    MONTH    M0\  EMJiNT.  299 

tion  in  fact.  All  reports  respecting  the  prepara- 
tion of  ascension  robes,  &c.,  and  which  are  still  by- 
many  believed,  were  demonstrated  over  and  over 
again  to  be  false  and  scandalous.  In  the  investi- 
gation of  the  truth  of  such,  no  labor  and  expense 
was  spared ;  and  it  became  morally  certain  that 
no  instance  of  the  kind  anyivhere  occurred. 

"  The  most  culpable  incident,  which  had  any 
foundation  in  fact,  was  in  Philadelphia.  In  op- 
position to  the  earnest  expostulations  of  Mr.  Litch 
and  other  judicious  persons,  a  company  of  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty,  responding  to  the  pretended 
vision  of  one  C.  R.  Georgas,  on  the  21st  of  Octo- 
ber went  out  on  the  Darby-street  road,  about  four 
miles  from  Market-street  bridge,  and  encamped 
in  a  field  under  two  large  tents,  provided  with 
all  needed  comforts.  The  next  morning,  their 
faith  in  Georgas'  vision  having  failed,  all  but  about 
a  dozen  returned  to  the  city.  A  few  days  later 
the  others  returned.  That  was  an  act  the  report 
of  which  was  greatly  exaggerated.  It  met  the 
emphatic  disapproval  of  Mr.  Miller  and  the  Ad- 
ventists  generally,  and  its  folly  was  promptly 
confessed  by  the  majority  of  those  who  partici- 
pated in  it. 

"  The  day  passed,  and  the  expectation  of  the 
advent  at  that  time  was  proved  to  be  premature. 
The  friends  were  at  first  quite  saddened,  but  were 
not  disheartened  by  the  passing  of  the  time. 
This  was  the  only  specific  day  which  was  re- 
garded by  intelligent  Adventists  with  any  posi- 
tiveness.  There  w^ere  other  days  named  by  those 
whose  o])inions  were  received  with  no  favor ;  but 
their  unauthorized  declarations  should  not  be 
imputed  to  the  body. 

"The  fact  that  man}'  sus))eniled  {heir  business 


300  LlFii    UF    MILLEH. 

for  a  few  days  was  censured  by  opponents ;  but 
it  was  only  acting  consistently  with  their  faith, 
opponents  being  judges.  Dr.  Dowling,  a  cele- 
brated Baptist  clergyman  in  New  York  city,  in  a 
review  of  Mr.  Miller,  used  this  strong  lanofuaffe  :— 
" '  Were  this  doctrine  of  Mr.  Miller  established 
upon  evidence  satisfactory  to  my  own  mind,  1 
would  not  rest  till  I  had  published  in  the  streets, 
and  proclaimed  in  the  ears  of  my  fellow-towns- 
men, and  especially  of  my  beloved  flock,  "The 
day  of  the  Lord  is  at  hand !  Build  no  more 
houses !  Plant  no  more  fields  and  Gfardens  '  For- 
sake  your  shops  and  farms,  and  all  secular  pur- 
suits, and  give  every  moment  to  preparation  for 
this  great  event !  for  in  three  short  years  this 
earth  shall  be  burnt  up,  and  Christ  shall  come  in 
the  clouds,  awake  the  sleeping  dead,  and  call  the 
living  before  his  dread  tribunal." ' 

"  In  the  first  communication  received  from  Mr. 
Miller  after  this  time,  he  wrote  from  Low  Hamp- 
ton, Nov.  ]0,  1844:^ 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Himes: — I  liave  been  waiting  and 
looking  for  the  blessed  hope,  and  in  expectation 
of  realizing  the  glorious  things  which  God  has 
spoken  of  Zion.  Yes,  and  although  I  have  been 
twice  disappointed,  I  am  not  yet  cast  down  or 
discouraged.  God  has  been  with  me  in  Spirit, 
and  has  comforted  me.  I  have  now  much  more 
evidence  that  I  do  belie^'e  in  God's  word ;  and 
although  surrounded  with  enemies  and  scoffers, 
yet  my  mind  is  ])erfectly  calm,  and  my  hope  in 
the  coming  of  Christ  is  as  strong  as  ever.  I  have 
done  only  what  after  years  of  sober  consideration 
I  felt  it  to  be  my  solemn  duty  to  do.  If  I  liave 
ei'ied,  it  lias  licen  <»n  tlie  side  of  chai'ity,  the  love 


TIARMONY    WITH    ESTAnLlSIIED   VIEWS.  301 

1)1"  my  fcUow-jiian,  and  iny  conviction  of  duly  to 
( lod.  I  could  not  see  that  1  should  liarm  my  fel- 
low-men, even  supposing  the  event  should  not 
take  place  at  the  time  specified,  for  it  is  a  com- 
mand of  our  Saviour  to  look  for  it,  watch,  expect 
it,  and  bo  ready.  Tiicn  if  I  could  by  any  means, 
in  accordance  with  God's  word,  persuade  men  to 
believe  in  a  crucified,  risen,  and  coming  Saviour, 
I  felt  it  would  have  a  bearing  on  the  everlasting 
welfare  and  ha])pincss  of  sucli.  T  had  not  a  dis- 
tant thought  of  disturbing  our  churches,  minis- 
tei"s,  religious  editors,  or  departing  from  the  best 
biblical  commentaries  or  rules  Avhich  had  been 
recommended  for  the  study  of  the  Scriptures. 
And  even  to  this  day,  my  opposers  have  not  been 
able  ti>  show  whei'e  I  have  departed  from  any 
Tide  laid,  duvni  by  ovr  old  standard  vjvitevs  of 
the  Protestant  faith.  I  have  only  interpreted 
Scripture  in  accordance  with  their  rules,  as  I  hon- 
estly believed.  And  not  one  honest  man,  who 
iniderstands  this  question,  will  deny  this  assertion 
of  mine.  But  that,  over  which  I  could  have  no 
control,  transpired  to  produce  on  the  public  mind 
an  unhappy  effect. 

" '  The  public  excitement  commenced  some  six 
years  ago.  Although  I  had  been  proclaiming 
the  Second  Advent  for  six  years  before,  there  was 
not  one  of  our  churches  that  I  visited  but  what 
achnoivledged  the  ha ppjj  effects  of  the  doctrine; 
and  many  were  hopefully  converted,  who  united 
themselves  with  the  several  sects  as  their  own 
judgment  dictated.  In  1839  and  1840,  the  oppo- 
sition to  the  doctrine  began  to  rage,  united  with 
ridicule  and  misrepresentation.  The  TJniversal- 
ists  commenced  the  contest,  and  were  followed 
by  every  sect  in  our  country.     Then  the  breth- 


302  LIFE   OF    MILLEK. 

ren  who  loved  the  appearing  of  oui'  Saviour, 
found  themselves  among  opposers.  And  instead 
of  meeting  sound  argument  and  light  among  their 
former  brethren,  they  were  almost  universally 
met  with  scoffing,  ridicule,  and  misrepresentation. 
Odious  names  and  cruel  epithets  were  applied  to 
us;  and  in  many  cases  our  motives  were  im- 
pugned, and  a  war  of  extermination  was  com- 
menced against  the  Advent  faith.  Many  of  our 
brethren  caught  a  measure  of  this  spirit,  and  be- 
gan to  defend  themselves  in  like  manner,  against 
the  attacks  of  the  several  sects.  The  name  of 
"  Babylon,"  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  it,  was  applied 
to  all  of  our  churches  without  any  discrimina- 
tion, although  in  too  many  instances  it  was  not 
unjustly  applied.  We  were  thus  placed  at  the 
time  we  expected  our  deliverance ;  and  if  Christ 
had  come  and  found  us  in  this  condition,  who 
would  have  been  ready,  purified,  and  made  white  ? 
But  the  time  passed,  and  the  Adventists  were 
humbled ;  and  thus  v/e  see  that  our  God  Avas  wise 
and  good,  in  the  tarrying  of  the  vision,  to  hum- 
ble, purify,  and  prepare  us  for  an  admittance  in- 
to his  blessed  kingdom, 

"'I  would  now  beg  and  pray,  my  brethren, 
that  we  may  humble  ourselves,  avoid  disputes, 
and  enter  into  our  chambers,  and  hide  ourselves 
for  a  little  while  until  the  danger  is  over.  Hold 
no  unnecessary  controversy  with  the  despisers  of 
our  blessed  hope,  let  us  separate  ourselves  from 
them  in  very  deed.  AVe  have  thus  far  done  all 
we  could—and  now  is  the  time  of  their  triumph, 
but  it  will  be  short.  I  am  determined  by  the 
grace  of  God  to  follow  this  rule,  God  will  fight 
our  battles  for  us,  and  in  due  time  we  shall  see 
who  is  the  only  Potentate,     Now  let  patience 


THE   T131E    PASSED,  303 

have  its  perfect  work.  Our  duty  now  is  to  com- 
fort one  another  with  these  words,  strengthen 
those  that  are  weak  among  us,  comfort  the  fee- 
ble, establish  the  wavering,  raise  up  the  bowed 
down,  sj^eak  often  one  to  another,  and  forsake 
not  the  assembling  of  ourselves  together ;  let  our 
conversation  be  in  Heaven  from  whence  we  look 
for  the  Saviour,  for  the  time  has  now  come  for 
us  to  live  by  faith,  a  faith,  that  is  tried  like  gold 
seven  times  purified.  Let  us  hold  fast  our  pro- 
fession without  wrath  or  doubting,  for  he  is  faith- 
ful who  has  promised,  and  he  that  shall  come  will 
come,  and  will  not  tarry.  Let  us  be  careful  that 
we  become  not  overcharged  with  the  things  of 
this  world,  and  so  that  day  come  upon  us  una- 
wares ;  but  know,  brethren,  that  the  day  will  not 
come  upon  you  as  a  thief;  you  will  see  and  know 
the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man. 

" '  I  would  advise  you,  Bro.  Himes,  to  continue 
publishing  your  papers  in  Boston  and  New  York. 
We  must  have  a  medium  of  communication  with 
one  another,  so  that  amid  the  moral  darkness 
which  has  shrouded  the  people  on  the  prophecies, 
we  may  have  light  in  all  our  dwellings.  This 
cannot  be  far  from  the  time.  I  feel  confident  that 
God  will  justify  his  word,  and  the  time  which  we 
have  preached ;  for  we  cannot  have  varied  far 
from  the  truth  in  our  own  views  of  the  seven 
times,  the  2300  days,  the  1335  days,  the  trump- 
ets, &c. 

"' Brethren,  \\o\di  fast;  let  no  man  take  your 
crown.  I  have  fixed  my  mind  upon  another 
time,  and  here  I  mean  to  stand  until  God  gives 
me  more  light — and  that  is  To-day,  To-day, 
and  TO-DAY,  until  he  comes,  and  I  see  Him  for 


304  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

whom  my  .'jOuI  yoa^)l^^.     rormit  me  to  illu.ijliaic 
by  parable. 

" '  A  certain  nobleman  about  taking  a  long  jour- 
ney, called  together  his  servants,  gave  instruc- 
tions to  every  one  respecting  their  work,  and 
commanded  them  to  be  faithftl  in  their  several 
occupations ;  and  at  his  return,  he  would  reward 
every  one  as  his  work  should  be.  He  also  in- 
formed them  how  many  days  he  should  be  absent ; 
but  the  time  of  night  when  he  should  return,  he 
did  not  make  known;  yet,  if  they  would  watch, 
they  should  know  when  he  was  near,  even  at  the 
door.  And  he  informed  them  how  they  might 
know.  They  would  first  see  the  lights  of  his 
carriage  in  the  distance,  and  they  would  hear  the 
rumbling  of  his  carriage  wheels,  and  go  out  to 
meet  him,  and  open  tlie  portal  gates  for  him  im- 
mediately. Whether  he  should  come  in  the  first, 
second,  third,  or  fourth  watch,  he  would  not  then 
inform  them ;  but  conunanded  them  to  watch. 
After  he  was  gone,  many  of  the  servants  began 
to  neglect  their  master's  business,  and  to  form 
plans  for  their  own  amusement.  Thus  engaged, 
the  days  appointed  for  their  master's  return  were 
forgotten.  The  giddy  whirl  of  dissipation  had 
filled  their  mind,  and  time  passed  rapidly  along ; 
and  the  days  were  nearly  run  out  when  some  of 
the  servants  discovered  in  the  steward's  book  the 
number  of  days  recorded  when  their  master  should 
return.  This  was  immediately  read  in  the  hear- 
ing of  the  servants,  and  created  no  small  excite- 
ment  among  them.  Some  said  the  time  was  not 
revealed,  because  the  master  said  the  watch  was 
not  known.  Others  said  the  master  would  never 
return,  he  would  send  his  principal  servant,  and 


AN    ILLUSTRATION.  305 

then  they  would  have  a  feasting  time  to  their  own 
liking. 

"'Thus  they  were  wrangling  and  disputing 
until  the  days,  according  to  the  best  reckoning 
they  could  make,  had  run  out,  and  the  night 
came,  in  which  some  of  them  expected  him.  The 
porter,  and  a  few  others  determined  to  watch, 
while  the  remainder  of  the  servants  were  feasting 
and  drinking.  The  porter  and  his  companions 
kept  a  good  lookout ;  for,  at  the  fii'st  watch,  they 
expected  their  master.  They  thought  they  saw 
the  light  and  heard  the  rumbling  of  the  wheels. 
They  ran  among  the  servants,  and  cried,  "  Behold, 
the  master  cometh."  This  caused  no  small  stu' 
among  them,  and  many  made  preparation  for 
their  master's  return.  But  it  proved  to  be  a  false 
alarm.  Then  those  servants  ridiculed  the  porter 
and  his  friends  for  their  fears  as  they  called  it, 
and  returned  to  their  feasting  again.  But  the 
porter  and  his  friends  were  still  vigilant  until  the 
second  watch,  when  they  were  again  disappointed, 
and  the  servants  were  more  vexed  than  ever. 
They  now  scoffed,  and  mocked,  and  then  turned 
some  of  them  out  of  doors.  Again  they  waited 
for  the  third  watch,  and  again  they  were  disap- 
pointed. Now  the  majority  of  the  servants,  being 
more  angry  than  ever,  beat  and  bruised  the  por- 
ter and  his  friends,  and  turned  them  all  out  of 
the  house,  locked  the  doors,  and  laid  themselves 
down  to  sleep.  At  the  fourth  watch  the  master 
came,  and  found  the  porter  and  a  few  of  his  com- 
panions watching.  The  doors  were  barred  and 
the  remainder  of  the  servants  were  asleep. 

" '  Now  let  me  ask,  Will  the  master  condemn  the 
porter  and  his  friends  for  making  three  false 
alarms?     Y\"il]    he    ]Minish   thein   foi-  disturbing 

.Miller.  -iO 


306  Llb'E    OF    MILLKK. 

their  carousing  brethren  ?  Which  of  these  two 
classes  of  servants  will  have  shown  the  most  love 
for  their  master  ?  Let  every  one  answer  to  him- 
self these  questions,  and  decide  his  own  case 
justly.  Our  former  l3rethren  say  they  ivatch,  but 
do  not  expect  him. 

'"Bro.  Himes,  give  us  the  signification  of  the 
word  Watch.     Yours  as  ever,  looking,  kc. 

"'Wm.  Miller.' 

Again  Mr.  Miller  wrote  on  the  ISth  of  Novem- 
ber from  Low  Hampton : — 

"'Dear  Bro.  Himes :  Be  imthnt,  establish 
your  heart,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh.  For  you  have  need  oi patience,  that,  after 
ye  have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive 
the  promise.  For  yet  a  little  while  and  he  that 
shall  come  will  come  and  will  not  tarry.  This  is 
the  time  for  'patience,  it  is  the  last  trial  the  dear 
Second  Advent  brethren  are  to  experience.  For 
this  will  carry  us  to  the  coming  of  the  Lord, 
"  Be  patient,  therefore,  brethren,  unto  the  coming 
of  the  Lord."  James  5 : 7.  This  is  the  way  God 
will  sanctify  his  host.  Now  there  will  be  a  great 
falling  away,  for  the  want  of  this  grace,  patience. 
But  all  that  endure  this  last  trial  unto  the  end, 
the  same  shall  be  saved.  2  Pet.  1 : 4—11.  As  our 
father  Abraham  did,  who  hoped  against  hope,  and- 
so  after  he  had  patienfly  endured,  he  obtained 
the  promise.  It  is  evident  as  the  sun  at  noon 
that  we  are  in  this  time  of  patience.  We  have 
done  the  will  of  God  in  this  thmg.  We  have 
written  the  vision  and  made  it  plain,  we  have 
run  all  our  published  time  out,  and  the  world  say 
that  "  every  vision  faileth,"  and  therefore  we  have 
now  need  oi'  'patience,  to  wait  nnto  the  coming  of 


PATIENCE    IN    DISAProlNTMENT.  307 

the  Holy  One,  Then  let  us  have  patiejice,  and 
exercise  it ;  for  we  can  see,  this  trial  will  bring 
joy  and  the  hope  of  glory.  Rom.  5  : 2-5.  "  Blessed 
is  the  man  that  endureth  temptation ;  for  when 
he  is  tried,  he  shall  receive  the  crown  of  life, 
which  the  Lord  hath  ])romised  to  them  that  love 
him."  James  1:12.  Hearken,  then,  my  brother, 
is  not  the  trial  of  our  faith  more  precious  than 
gold  ?  and  shall  we  not  stand  in  this  last  trial  of 
our  faith  by  ixdience'!'  "For  whatsoever  things 
were  wi-itten  aforetime,  were  written  for  our  learn- 
ing, that  we  through  patience  and  comfort  of  the 
Scriptures  might  have  hope.  Now  the  God  of 
patience  and  consolation  grant  you  to  be  like- 
minded  one  toward  another  according  to  Christ 
Jesus."  Rom.  15  : 4,  5.  Then  whatever  was  writ- 
ten, was  for  our  example  who  live  in  this  our 
last  day ;  let  us  then  through  patience  have  hope. 
"  Looking  for  that  blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Je- 
sus Christ."     Titus  2:13. 

" '  We  have  done  our  work  in  warning  sinners, 
and  in  trying  to  awake  a  formal  church.  God,  in 
his  providence,  has  shut  the  door ;  *  we  can  only 

*Here  Mr.  Miller  expresses  the  views  and  feelings  of  the  Ad- 
ventists  generally  for  a  time  after  the  disappointment  in  October, 
184rl.  Many  of  the  leading  men  in  the  movement  soon  became 
impatient,  and  backed  out  of  this  position  by  rashly  condemning 
the  time  movements  of  1843  and  IbM  as  the  result  of  error,  and 
they  took  the  majority  of  believers  with  them.  This  division  left 
those  who  took  good  heed  to  the  godly  exhortations  of  Mr.  Miller 
exposed  to  great  trials  and  the  ravages  of  fanaticism. 

(.Jod  had  the  great  sanctuary  question  in  reserve  for  the  Ad- 
ventists,  which,  in  connection  with  the  three  messages  of  Rev.  14, 
if  they  had  waited  patiently  in  the  position  where  his  word  and 
providence  had  brought  them,  would  have  explained  the  past, 
given  cerliiinty  to  the  then  present,  and  would  have  opened  be- 
fore I  hem  the  future  work  of  the  third  message.  j.  w. 


308  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

stir  one  another  up  to  be  "patient,  and  be  diligent 
to  make  our  calling  and  election  sure.  We  are 
now  living  in  the  time  specified  by  Malachi  3:18; 
also  Daniel  12:10;  Rev.  22  :  10-12.  In  this  pas- 
sage we  cannot  help  but  see  that,  a  little  while 
before  Christ  should  come,  there  would  be  a  sepa- 
ration between  the  just  and  unjust,  the  righteous 
and  wicked,  between  those  who  love  his  appear- 
ing and  those  who  hate  it.  And  never  since  the 
days  of  the  apostles  has  there  been  such  a  divis- 
ion line  drawn  as  was  drawn  about  the  10th  or 
23d  day  of  the  7tli  Jewish  month.  Since  that 
time,  they  say,  "  they  have  no  confidence  in  us." 
"  '  We  have  need  oi imi'ie nee  after  we  have  done 
the  will  of  God,  that  we  may  receive  the  prom- 
ise; for  he  says,  "Behold,  I  come  quicJdy,  to  re- 
ward every  one  as  his  work  shall  be."  You  may 
inquire,  how  long  quickly  means.  The  false- 
hearted professor  will  tell  you  it  may  mean  ages 
upon  ages  yet  to  come ;  but  the  real  lover  of  Christ 
will  J(02^e  it  is  near.  Christ  has  told  us  how  near. 
Matt.  24  :  32,  33.  Again,  the  apostle  James  has 
told  us  that  we  are  to  h&ve  ]Ktti ence,  for  it  is  nigh. 
He  then  tells  us  that  the  husbandman  waiteth  for 
the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth,  and  hath  long 
patience  for  it,  until  he  receive  the  early  and 
latter  rain.  How  long  then  does  the  husbandman 
wait  ?  The  former  rains,  in  Judea,  fell  after  the 
autumnal  e^juinox,  at  their  seed  time,  to  (juicken 
the  a'rain ;  and  the  latter  rains,  after  the  vernal 
equinox,  to  insure  a  plentiful  ci'op.  [Larpenter s 
Introdud'nui,  p.  334.]  "  Be  ye  oXtiopaticnt ;  stab- 
lish  your  hearts ;  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord 
drawcth  nigh."  How  nigh  ?  It  cannot  be  seen, 
by  the  reading  of  tlie  passage,  that  we  are  to  l»e 
in  this  pallcni  waiting  fo)-  his  coming,  after  Wf 


PATIEXC'E    IX    DTSAPPOINT^^ENT,  309 

have  dune  the  will  ol"  Gud,  wown  the  »ecd,  given 
the  midnight  cry,  longer ;  and  it  may  be  much 
less  than  the  husbandman  waited.  Therefore  let 
us  stablish  our  hearts,  be  determined  to  go  for- 
ward, let  us  not  look  back,  "Remember  Lot's  wife." 

"  '  I  think  the  event  for  which  we  look  can- 
not be  afar  oft'.  I  know  of  no  rule  by  which  we 
can  fix  on  any  day  or  hour.  But  Christ  tells  us 
we  may  know  when  it  is  near  even  at  the  door. 
James  5 : 9,  tells  us,  when  this  time  of  ixdicnt 
waltiuf/  comes,  then, "  Behold,  the  Judge  standeth 
before  the  door."  I  feel  as  confident  as  ever  that 
God  will  justify  us  in  fixing  the  year.  And  I 
believe  as  firmly  tliat  this  Jewish  year  will  not 
terminate  before  this  wicked  and  corrupted  earth's  ' 
history  will  all  be  told.  The  amount  of  scofiing 
and  mocking  at  the  present  time  is  beyond  any 
calculation.  We  can  hardly  pass  a  man,  professor 
or  non-professor,  but  what  he  scoftingly  inquires, 
"  You  have  not  gone  up,"  or  "  God  cannot  burn 
the  world,"  kc,  ridicuhng  the  Bible  itself,  and 
blaspheming  the  word  and  power  of  God.  And 
yet  ministers  and  moral  editors  wink  at  it.  And 
some  of  them  are  performing  the  same,  to  the  no 
small  joy  of  the  most  depraved  characters  in  the 
community. 

" '  If  this  is  not  a  sign  of  the  last  day,  we  are 
sure  never  to  see  fulfilled  2  Pet.  3  : 3,  4,  "  Knowing 
this  first,  that  there  shall  come  in  the  last  days 
scoffers,  walking  after  their  own  lusts,  and  say- 
ing. Where  is  the  promise  of  his  coming  ?  for 
since  the  fathers  fell  asleep,  all  things  continue 
as  they  were  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation ;" 
nor  Jude  18,  "How  that  they  told  you  there 
should  be  mockers  in  the  last  time,  who  should 
walk  after  their  own  ungodly  lusts."     I  pity  the 


niO  LIFE    OF    MIU.ER. 

iiiliabilaiils  who  may  live  in  an  age  ol.  ibc  world 
tliat  is  worse  than  tliis.  I  cannot  believe  this 
eai'tli  will  ever  again  be  so  om'sed.  Where  are 
our  moral  judges  and  rulers  ?  Has  virtue  fled 
from  the  earth  ?  ami  is  tliere  no  fi^ar  of  God  in  all 
the  land  ? 

"'Come,  Lord  Jesus,  oh!  come  quickly,  or  we 
shall  be  as  when  God  overthrew  the  cities  of  the 
plain,  like  unto  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.  Where 
arc  the  watchmen  upon  the  walls  of  Zion  ?  Can 
the  sign  of  Peter  and  Jude  be  fulfilled  before  their 
eyes,  and  they  not  see  it  ?  Do  they  not  know 
that  one  sign  plainly  fulfilled  is  proof  enough  ? 
for  God  is  not  nian  that  he  should  lie,  nor  is  like 
'unto  the  sons  of  men  that  he  should  be  mistaken. 
I  would  beg  to  know  what  could  be  called  scofjl'- 
iug  and  riw<i-in(f,  if  the  conduct  of  all  classes  of 
men  opposing  the  Second  Advent  doctrine  is  not. 
Paul  tells  us,  1  Thess.  4:17,  "  Then  we  which  are 
alive  and  i-emain  shall  be  caught  up  together  with 
them  in  the  clouds,  to  meet  tlie  Lord  in  the  air ; 
and  so  shall  we  ever  be  with  the  Lord."  And 
some  are  tauntingly  inquiring,  "  LlaAC  you  not 
gone  up  ?  "  Kvon  little  children  in  the  streets  arc 
shouting  continually  to  passers-b}^,  "  Have  you 
a  ticket  to  go  up  ? "  The  public  prints,  of  the 
most  fashionable  and  popular  kind,  in  the  great 
Sodoms  of  our  count]y,  are  caricaturing  in  the 
most  shameful  manner  the  "  white  robes  of  the 
saints,"  Rev.  0:11,  the  "going  up,"  and  the 
grea,t  day  of  "burning."  Even  the  pulpits  are 
desecrated  by  the  repetition  of  scandalous  and 
false  reports  concerninc:  the  "ascension  robes," 
and  priests  are  using  their  powers  and  pens  to 
fill  the  catalogue  of  scoffing  in  the  most  scandal- 
ous periodicals  of  the  day.     England  and  France, 


PATIEN'CE    IN    DTSArrOINTMENT.  311 

with  their  sinks  of  pollution,  London  and  Paris, 
cannot,  will  not,  and  dare  not,  compete  with  our 
Boston,  New  York,  or  Philadelphia,  in  scoffing. 
If  these  will  not  open  the  eyes  of  our  good  men 
in  these  cities,  then  I  shall  believe  there  is  none 
there.  And  at  any  rate,  the  world  must  and  will 
be  burned  up,  and  few  men  left.  Adieu,  my 
brother,  I  am  i-)aticntly  waiting  for  my  King,  &c. 

"'Wm.  Miller.' 

On  the  29th  of  November  he  wrote  to  Eld.  I.  E. 
Jones,  which  appears  in  the  Advent  Herald  for 
Dec.  25,  1844  :— 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Jones. — Yours  of  the  28d  inst. 
was  received  yesterday,  and  I  am  now  seated  to 
answer  it.  The  disappointment  which  we  have  ex- 
pei'ienced,  in  my  opinion,  could  never  have  been 
foreseen  or  avoided,  and  we  have  been  honest  men 
and  believed  in  the  truth  of  the  Bible.  I  have 
had  time  a  few  weeks  past  to  review  the  whole 
subject,  and  with  all  the  aid  of  Stuart,  Chase, 
Weeks,  Bush,  and  the  whole  school  of  modern 
writers,  I  cannot  see  why  we  are  not  right.  And 
even  by  taking  the  whole  together,  instead  of 
disproving  the  position  we  have  taken,  as  it  re- 
spects prophecy,  they  confirm  me  in  my  views. 
But,  say  you,  time  has  shown  we  are  wrong.  I 
am  not  so  certain  of  that.  Suppose  Christ  should 
come  before  this  year  of  Jewish  time  should  ex- 
pire. Then  every  honest  man  would  say  we  were 
right.  But  if  the  world  does  stand  two,  or  even 
three,  years  more,  it  would  not  in  the  least  alter 
the  manner  of  the  prophecy,  but  would  affect  the 
time.  One  thing  I  do  know,  I  have  preached 
nothing  but  what  I  believed,  and  God's  hand  has 
been  with  me,  his  power  has  been  manifested  in 


312  (,IKK    OF    MILLEK. 

the  work,  and  inucli  good  has  been  etiected  ;  for 
people  have  read  the  Bible  for  themselves,  and 
no  one  can  honestly  say  that  they  have  been  de- 
ceived by  me.  My  advice  lias  always  been  for 
every  one  to  study  the  evidences  of  tlieir  faitli 
for  themselves. 

"'Again,  I  can  see  no  object  that  Satan  could 
have  in  publishing  a  doctrine  which  liisown  sub- 
jects would  so  generally  oppose.  No  one  can 
possibly  plead  that  those  who  have  excited  the 
mobs,  or  the  mobs  themselves  who  have  com- 
mitted violence,  were  obeying  the  example  or 
spirit  of  Christ.  This  would  be  blasphemy  in  the 
highest  sense.  Very  well ;  then  Satan  would 
be  opposing  Satan,  but  on  the  part  of  the  Advent- 
ists,  Satan  would  be  a  non-resistant.  Can  this 
be  true  ?  If  it  is,  then  I  have  no  rule  by  which 
to  judge  where  the  Spirit  of  Clirist  may  be  known. 
To  tell  us  that  those  who  have  headed  the  most 
violent  mobs  in  our  country  v/ere  performing  the 
will  of  God,  is  an  insult  to  common  sense.  Yet 
in  no  case  have  the  nominal  churches  dealt  with 
their  brethren  for  such  an  offense. 

" '  It  cannot  be  that  we  are  deceived.  That 
Christ  will  come  and  justify  us  yet  I  will  not  doubt. 
Our  meetings  are  like  yours,  sweet  and  heaven!}^ 
refreshings  from  the  presence  and  Spirit  of  God, 
with  no  wicked  to  molest  us ;  they  have  left  us 
entirely.  For  some  time  in  October  they  crowded 
our  liouse  night  and  day ;  but  now  "  there  is  room 
enough."  The  trap  is  laid  for  them,  they  appear 
to  know  that  Christ  will  never  come.  They  that 
were  crying  for  mercy  a  few  days  since,  are  now 
scoffing  and  mocking  us,  and  ridiculing  each  oth- 
ers' fears.  Even  some  old  professors  are  worse  than 
the  world.     Have   not   such  individuals  sinned 


PATIENCE    IN    niSArPOINTMEKT.  313 

against  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  And  when  they  say, 
Peace  and  safety,  will  not  sudden  destruction 
overtake  them  ?  While  the  wicked  were  thus 
expecting  him,  how  could  the  Scriptures  have  been 
all  fulfilled  if  he  had  come  ?  They  could  not. 
But  now  they  are  ready  for  the  snare,  and  out  of 
their  own  mouths  will  God  judge  them ;  for  they 
well  knew  they  were  unprepared,  and  the  way 
they  knew,  or  why  were  they  so  anxious  for 
mercy  ?  But  when  the  danger  was  past,  all  of 
their  preparation  was  over. 

" '  I  feel  confident  that  we  shall  see  very  se- 
rious times.  We  shall  need-mvich.2)ntience.  And 
this  peculiar  grace  will  last  us  through,  "unto  tlie 
coming  of  the  Lord."  I  am  almost  certain  we 
shall  not  need  iKvtien ce  longer  than  the  farmer 
waits  for  the  precious  fruits  of  the  earth,  and 
hath  long  patience  for  it  until  he  receive  the  ear- 
ly and  latter  rain.  But  I  will  try  to  be  patient. 
James  5:7-11.  To  whom  did  the  apostle  ad- 
dress himself  in  his  exhortation  ?  To  what  age 
of  the  church  ?  To  that  age  where  the  coming 
of  the  Lord  draweth  nigh,  and  the  Judge  stand- 
eth  at  the  door.  Why  did  he  caution  them  to  be 
patient  ?  Because  he  supposed  they  would  be 
impatient  to  have  the  Lord  come.  Is  there  any 
sign  among  our  nominal  churches  and  sects,  that 
they  are  impatient  for  Christ  to  come  ?  No,  evi- 
dently it  is  the  reverse ;  they  desire  him  not  to 
come.  Then  if  the  Judge  standeth  at  the  door, 
are  they  not  James'  brethren  ?  No.  Will  you 
tell  me  who  are  James'  brethren  in  this  age  ? 
They  are  those  who  are  converted  from  Judaism 
and  scattered.  Chap.  1 : 1-4.  They  ask  wisdom 
of  God,  in  faith,  not  wavering.  Verses  5  and  (j. 
The  poor  among  them  arc  exalted,  and  tlie  ricli 


314  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

are  made  low.  Verses  !)  and  10.  They  endure 
temptation  witliout  wavering,  and  after  their 
trial  arc  blessed  with  a  crown  of  life.  Averse  12. 
They  are  begotten  of  God  with  his  work  of  truth, 
and  doers  as  well  as  hearers  of  the  word.  Verses 
I  (S-22.  They  liave  forsaken  creeds,  and  look  and 
continue  in  the  law  of  liberty.  Verse  25.  They 
visit  the  afHicted  and  have  no  fellowship  with 
the  world.     Verse  27. 

" '  They  must  not  countenance  nor  support  war, 
for  that  Cometh  from  lust.  Chap.  4  : 1-3.  They 
must  not  have  respect  to  the  rich,  and  despise 
the  poor;  for  that  is  judging  unrighteously. 
Chap.  2  : 1-10.  They  must  show  their  faith  by 
their  works,  and  have  no  boasting  where  their 
works  are  not  made  manifest.  Verses  14-26. 
They  must  not  strive  to  be  masters  or  rulers  of 
their  brethren,  and  have  but  few  D.  Ds.  or  A. 
Ms.  among  them.  James  3:1-12.  They  must 
have  no  envying  or  striving  against  the  truth, 
and  be  possessed  of  that  wisdom  which  cometh 
down  from  above.  Verses  13-18.  They  are  to 
humble  themselves  and  speak  no  evil  of  the  breth- 
ren. Chap.  4  :  10-17.  They  are  to  cry  unto  the 
Lord  in  their  atHictions  and  persecutions  and 
make  no  resistance.  Chap.  5 : 4-G.  They  will 
stablish  their  hearts  in  faith  by  patience,  and 
grieve  not  the  brethren.  Verses  7-0.  They  will 
take  the  prophets  for  their  example,  and  remem- 
ber that  the  end  of  Job's  trials  from  the  Lord 
was  his  patience.  Verses  iO  and  11.  They  will 
not  swear  nor  take  any  oath,  A'^erse  12.  If  af- 
flicted, they  will  pray ;  if  merry,  sing ;  if  they  are 
sick,  call  for  the  elders  to  pray,  and  if  they  sin, 
confess  their  faults ;  and  if  others  sin,  restore  if 
possible.     A^erses  13-20. 


PATIENCE    IN    DISAPrOTXT^FEXT.  ol5 

"And  now,  my  bioilicr,  it"  you  can  liml  such 
a  band,  tlioy  are  the  apostle's  brethren.  Say  to 
-such,  "Be  patient  therefore,  brethren,  imto  the 
coming  of  the  Lord,  be  yc  also  2'>cit  lent :  stablish 
your  hearts ;  for  the  coming  of  tlie  Lord  draweth 
nigh."  Read  this  to  all  the  Ao//y  hret/iren  ;  for  it 
is  the  best  and  only  advice  I  can  give  them  ;  and 
tell  them  1  refjucst  their  prayers>  that  I  may  fol- 
low the  same  advice  ;  for  their  prayei'S  are  better 
to  me  than  the  world's  love,  and  much  more  to 
be  desired  than  a  good  name  from  those  who  hate 
my  King.  I  ask  no  favors  of  C';osar's  household, 
but  that  I  may  enjoy  in  ])eace  my  blessed  hope. 
I  have  never  courted  the  smiles  of  the  proud,  nor 
(piailed  when  the  world  frowned.  I  shall  not 
now  purchase  their  favor ;  nor  shall  I  go  beyond 
duty  to  tempt  their  hate.  I  shall  never  seek  my 
life  at  their  hands ;  nor  shrink,  I  hope,  from  los- 
ing it,  if  God  in  his  good  providence  so  order,'?.  1 
thank  God  for  your  steadfastness  in  the  truth,  and 
pray  him  that  you  may  endure  unto  the  end.  I 
remain  as  ever  looking  foi',  and  expecting  the  King 
in  his  glory  soon.  W>r.  Miller.' 

Again  Mr.  Miller  wiites  for  the  Herald,  Dec.  o, 
1 844  :— 

"'Dear  Bijx.  Himes  and  Bliss.  -I  cannot  sit 
down  to  write  without  the  reflection  that  this 
letter  may  never  reach  its  destination.  Yet  I  Ije- 
lieve  in  occupying  until  Christ  shall  come.  There- 
fore, I  still  feel  it  to  be  my  duty  to  occasionally 
drop  you  a  line,  to  let  you  know  how  my  soul 
prospers,  and  how  my  faith  holds  out.  As  it 
respects  the  soul,  I  have  never  enjoyed  more 
calmness  of  mind,  nor  more  resignation  to  the 
holy  will  of  God,  and  patience  of  spirit,  than  I 


31 G  LIFE   OF    MIT.LKU. 

have  within  a  lew  weeks  pa.sL.  My  soul,  1  think, 
is  stayed  on  God  and  I  enjoy  peace  like  a  river. 
For  years  past  I  have  often  had  a  spirit  of  impa- 
tience for  Christ  to  come,  and  I  have  felt  grieved 
in  soul  because  I  found  in  my  heart  so  much  of 
what  I  called  a  spirit  of  fretfulness  and  a  mind 
fidl  of  impatience.  But  I  bless  God  I  have  had 
but  little  of  that  recently.  I  have  had  great 
reason  to  thank  God  for  his  abundant  goodness 
in  this  respect.  My  faith  is  stronger  than  ever ; 
and  this  is  somewhat  remarkable,  when  I  reflect 
on  the  disappointment  I  have  met  in  my  former 
expectations.  But  here,  too,  I  see  the  good  hand 
of  God  in  my  strength  of  faith. 

" '  I  have  read  with  much  interest  and  great  sat- 
isfaction your  "  Address  to  the  Adventists."  And 
I  am  perfectly  satisfied  it  is  the  right  ground  for 
you  to  take.  I  believe  the  ground  we  have  for- 
merly stood  upon,  as  it  regards  the  chronology  of 
prophecy,  is  the  only  ground  we  can  take ;  and 
if  the  defect  is  in  human  chronology,  then  no 
human  knowledge  is  sufficient  in  this  age  to  rec- 
tify it,  with  any  degree  of  certainty ;  and  I  see 
no  good  that  can  be  accomplished  by  taking  a 
stand  for  any  future  period,  with  less  evidence 
than  we  had  for  1843-4.  For  those  who  would 
not  believe,  wdth  the  evidence  we  then  produced, 
we  cannot  expect  will  now  believe  with  much  less 
testimony. 

"  '  Again  it  is  to  me  almost  a  demonstration  that 
God's  hand  is  seen  in  this  thing.  Many  thou- 
sands, to  all  human  appearance,  have  been  made 
to  study  the  Scriptures  by  the  preaching  of  the 
time ;  and  by  that  means,  through  faith  and  the 
sprinkling  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  have  been  rec- 
onciled to  God.     And  those  of  us  who  have  been 


COUNSEL    TO    DELIEVEIIS.  317 

familiar  with  the  fruits  and  effects  of  the  preach- 
inof  of  tliis  doctrine,  must  acknowledge  that  he 
has  been  with  us  in  so  doing,  and  his  wisdom  has 
in  a  great  measure  marked  out  our  path,  which 
he  has  devised  for  such  good  as  he  will  accom- 
plish in  his  own  time  and  manner ;  as  in  the  case 
of  Ninevah  by  the  preaching  of  Jonah.  If  this 
should  be  the  real  state  of  the  case,  and  we  should 
go  on  to  set  other  times  in  the  future,  we  might 
possibly  be  found  frustrating,  or  trying  to,  at  least, 
the  purposes  of  God,  and  receive  no  blessing.  I 
think  my  brethren  will  all  admit  that  God  has 
been  in  the  work,  and  he  has  tried  our  faith  in 
the  best  possible  manner.  The  vision  has  been 
made  plain  on  tables.  We  have  had  a  tarrying 
time.  And  now  we  are  having  our  time  of  patience 
unto  the  coming  of  the  Lord.  Then  I  say.  Let 
patience  have  its  perfect  work.  I  have  great  hope, 
and  a  good  confidence.  I  think  I  may  safely  say 
that  the  Lord  will  make  his  appearance  yet  before 
this  Jewish  year  shall  terminate.  And  if  so,  and 
we  should  be  looking  for  years  to  come,  we  should 
not  do  well.  Therefore,  the  only  safe  measure 
for  me  to  pursue,  under  the  best  light  I  can  now 
get,  is  to  keep  what  light  I  have  burning,  and 
look  and  expect  him  every  day  until  he  comes. 
This  is  my  present  })osition,  and  the  greatest 
danger  which  those  an;  in  who  take  this  position, 
will  be  the  loss  of  patience  and  a  neglect  of  watch- 
ing and  prayer.  'Jo  remedy  this,  I  would  advise 
that  we  keep  ourselves  as  nuicli  as  possible  from 
worldly  associations,  vain  and  trifling  conversa- 
tion, w^rangling  or  disputing  on  any  subject ;  and 
Avhen  we  do  hold  convei'sation,  let  it  be  with 
tliose  whose  conversation  is  in  Heaven,  from 
whence  we  Kmk  for  the  Sa\iour.     And  when  we 


318  LIFE    OF    MILLKK. 

pray,  remember  God  hears  every  word,  and  knows 
every  motive  which  dictates  our  prayers  ;  and  be 
sure  that  we  be  honest  before  God. 

" '  If  the  experience  which  we  liave  passed 
through,  from  the  beginning  of  the  present  year, 
— the  tarrying  time  from  April  until  October  and 
the  sanctifying  influence  of  the  seventh  month, 
with  the  humiliation  and  patience  of  those  who 
are  evidently  looking  for  the  redemption  of  the 
true  Israel, — is  not  the  beginning  and  prepara- 
tion of  the  final  cleansimj  of  the  sanctuary,  then 
I  will  acknowledge  I  am  deceived.  The  great 
fault  with  us  who  have  been  expounding  the 
time  of  the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,  is,  we  have 
crowded  all  these  things  into  a  very  unwarranta- 
ble short  space  of  time,  we  have  given  no  time 
for  preparation,  we  were  too  impatient.  There- 
fore, we  are  exhorted  to  be  patient,  and  James 
says,  "The  Judge  standeth  at  the  door."  I  am 
fully  convinced  the  work  has  already  begun.  Let 
us  then  have  patience,  brethren,  from  this  time 
until  he  comes ;  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draw- 
eth  nigh. 

" '  We  have  erred  in  many  things,  and  even  the 
second  advent  brethren  were  not  prepared  for  the 
coming  of  Christ ;  they  had,  many  of  them,  left 
the  work  of  the  Lord,  and  had  been  doing  their 
own  work.  The  work  of  the  Lord,  which  he  had 
commanded  us  to  do,  was  to  make  the  vision 
plain,  to  write  it  on  tables,  to  give  the  alarm,  the 
midnight  cry,  and  wake  up  the  virgins;  and 
while  these  things,  and  these  things  only  were 
attended  to,  our  work  prospered,  and  God  was 
with  us.  And  now,  my  dear  brethren,  permit 
me  to  be  plain  :  I  hope  all  who  aie  worth  saving 
are  hnnil)]o  enough  to  l;)car  iny  reproof",  and  I  mean 


COUNSEL   TO    UKLIKVEIJS.  319 

to  give  it  with  the  sincerest  of  motives,  and  with 
the  kindest  affection  of  my  heart. 

" '  The  causes  which  required  God's  chastising 
hand  upon  us,  were,  in  my  humble  opinion,  Pride, 
Fanaticism,  and  Sectarianism.  Pride  worked 
in  many  ways.  We  ascribed  our  conquest  in  ar- 
gument over  our  opponents  to  ourselves.  We 
were  seeking  the  honors  or  applause  of  men 
more  than  of  God.  We  were  some  of  us  seeking 
to  be  leaders,  instead  of  being  servants — boasting 
too  much  of  our  doings.  And  Fanaticism:  I 
know  our  enemies  accused  of  this  before  we  were 
guilty;  but  this  did  not  excuse  us  for  running 
into  it.  A  thousand  expressions  were  used,  with- 
out thought  or  reflection,  and  I  thought  some- 
times very  irreverently,  such  as,  "  Bless  God,"  &c. 
I  was  afraid  it  was  done  in  very  many  cases  to 
the  appearance  of  outward  piety,  rather  than  as 
the  hidden  manna  of  the  heart.  Sometimes  our 
meetings  were  distinguished  by  noise  and  confu- 
sion, and,  forgive  me,  brethren,  if  ]  express  my- 
self too  strongly,  it  appeared  to  me  more  like  Ba- 
bel than  a  solemn  assembly  of  penitents  bowing 
in  humble  reverence  before  a  holy  God.  I  have 
often  obtained  more  evidence  of  inward  piety 
from  a  kindling  eye,  a  luet  cheeh,  and  a  cJioked, 
utterance,  than  from  all  the  noise  in  Christen- 
dom. Sectarianism :  this  is  always  produced  by 
some  private  opinion  of  man,  i-ather  than  by  the 
plain  declaration  of  God's  word.  For  years  after 
I  began  to  proclaim  this  blessed  truth  of  Christ 
at  the  door,  I  never,  if  possible  to  avoid  it,  even 
alluded  to  sectarian  principles  ;  and  the  first  ob- 
jection my  Baptist  brethren  brought  against  me, 
was,  I  mixed  with,  an<l  preached  unto,  all  denom- 
inations, even  to  Unitarians,  kc.     But  we  have 


320  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

recently,  my  brethren,  been  guilty  of  raising  up 
a  sect  of  our  own ;  for,  the  very  things  which  our 
fathers  did,  when  they  became  sects,  we  have 
been  doing.  We  have,  like  them,  cried  Babylon  ! 
Babylon ! !  Babylon  ! ! !  against  all  hut  Advent- 
ists.  We  have  proclaimed  and  discussed,  "pro 
et  con,"  many  sectarian  dogmas  which  have  noth- 
ing to  do  with  our  message.  May  God  forgive 
us.  And  now,  brethren,  we  have  need  of  patience, 
that  after  we  have  done  the  will  of  God,  we  may 
receive  the  promise.     Yours  as  ever, 

"'Wm.  Miller.' 

On  the  28th  and  29th  of  December,  1844,  a  Con- 
ference was  held  at  Low  Hampton,  where  the 
following  address,  prepared  by  Bro.  Miller  at  the 
request  of  the  brethren,  was  presented  by  a  com- 
mittee, and  unanimously  adopted  by  the  Con- 
ference : — 

"  '  ADDRESS    TO    ADVENT    BELIEVERS. 

To  the  dear  Second  Advent  hrethren,  scattered  abroad : 
desi^ised,  but  not  forsaken  ;  poor,  yet  making  many 
rich  ;  discarded  by  the  prond  Pharisees  of  our  day,  yet 
not  discouraged  ;  cruelly  treated  for  the  doctrine  you 
love,  and  yet  holding  fiiiiily  to  your  hope  of  salvation 
at  the  door. 

" '  We  the  undersigned,  i)artakers  of  the  same 
hope,  children  of  the  same  faith,  looking  for  the 
same  deliverance,  loving  the  same  Lord,  feeding 
on  the  same  word,  enjoying  the  same  Spirit,  suf- 
fering the  same  trials,  subjected  to  like  disappoint- 
ments, and  having  the  same  care  and  fellowship 
for  your  welfare  and  furtherance  in  the  truth,  as 
ye  have  one  for  anoihei'  and  lor  us,  addi-ess  you 
\>y  this  our  epistle,  in  the  way  of  consolation  and 


ADDRESS    TO    BKLI  KriiKS.  o21 

advice  ;  knowing  that  while  we  may  comfort  and 
console  your  hearts,  we  are  establishing  and 
strengthening  our  own.  For  if  through  many 
disappointments,  temptations  and  trials,  you 
stand  fast  in  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the 
saints,  we  rejoice  in  your  steadfastness,  are  com- 
forted together  with  you,  and  are  strengthened 
even  in  the  inner  and  the  outer  man. 

" '  We  thank  God  always  on  your  behalf,  when 
we  hear,  as  we  already  have  heard,  that  your  and 
our  late  disappointment  has  produced  in  you,  and 
we  hope  in  us  also,  a  deep  humiliation  and  close 
inspection  of  our  hearts;  and  although  we  are 
humbled,  and  in  some  measure  pained  in  our 
hearts  to  see  and  hear  the  scoffs  and  jeers  of  a 
wicked  and  perverse  generation,  yet  we  are  in  no- 
wise terrified  or  cast  down  by  the  adversaries  of 
our  faith.  We  pray  you,  then,  brethren,  to  "  let 
patience  have  its  perfect  work,"  knowing  "  that 
patience  worketh  experience,  and  experience 
hope,  and  hope  maketh  not  ashamed."  No,  we 
are  not  ashamed,  for  we  all  know  why  we  hope. 
You  can  and  will,  all  of  you,  from  the  least  of 
you  to  the  greatest,  old  or  young,  when  inquired 
of  for  the  reason  of  yoxw  hope,  open  your  Bibles 
and  with  meekness  and  fear  show  the  inquirer 
why  you  hope  in  the  glorious  appearing  of  the 
great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.  You 
need  not  in  a  single  instance  refer  the  inquirer  to 
your  minister  to  give  the  reason  of  your  faith  and 
hope. 

"  '  We  bless  God  for  you,  my  brethren,  that  you 
are  all  taught  of  the  Lord.  Your  creed  is  the 
Scriptures  ;  your  spelling-book  is  the  BiV)le ;  your 
(grammar  is  the  wov(l  indited  by  the  Spirit;  your 

Miller.  21 


322  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

geography  respects  the  promised  inheritance  of 
the  holy  land ;  your  astronomy  respects  the  bright 
starry  crown  of  righteousness ;  your  philosophy 
is  the  wisdom  which  cometh  down  from  God ; 
your  bond  of  union  is  the  love  and  fellowship  of 
the  saints  ;  your  teacher  is  the  Holy  Ghost;  and 
your  professor,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  your  reci- 
tation room  is  your  closet ;  your  recitations  are 
heard  in  your  prayers,  and  your  songs  fill  up  your 
vacations.  We  speak  not  of  rewards,  diplomas, 
and  degrees,  for  these  are  reserved  in  Heaven  for 
us,  when  these  dusty  walls  of  this  tabernacle  shall 
be  dissolved,  and  we  are  called  home  into  the 
new  heavens  and  new  earth,  to  a  full  fruition  of 
that  hope  of  which  we  are  not  ashamed.  Ashamed 
of  this  hope  ?  No.  Ashamed  of  looking  for  this 
hope?  No.  Ashamedof  expecting  Jesus  ?  Why, 
what  a  question  ! !  When  we  look,  do  we  not  ex- 
pect ?  The  ministers  of  our  formal  churches,  some 
of  them,  say  "  they  look,  but  do  not  expect."  Yet, 
brethren,  we  have  expected  time  and  again  and 
have  been  disappointed,  but  are  not  ashamed. 

"'We  would  not  yield  a  hair's  breadth  of  our  ex- 
pectations for  all  the  honors  of  C?esar's  household, 
with  all  the  popular  applause  of  a  worldly  church. 
We  exhort  you,  then,  by  all  the  love  and  fellow- 
ship of  the  saints,  to  hold  fast  to  this  hope.  It  is 
warranted  by  every  promise  of  the  word  of  God. 
It  is  secured  to  you  by  the  two  immutable  things, 
the  council  and  oath  of  God,  in  which  it  is  im- 
possible for  God  to  lie.  It  is  ratified  and  sealed 
by  the  death,  blood,  resurrection  and  life  of  Jesus 
Christ.  You  have  already  had  a  fortaste  of  the 
bliss  of  this  hope,  in  the  seventh  month,  when 
every  moment  you  looked  for  the  heavens  to 
open  and  reveal  unto  your  anxious  gaze  the  King 


ADDRESS   TO    RELIEVERS,  323 

of  glory.  Yes,  then  your  whole  soul  was  rav- 
ished with  a  holy  joy,  when  you  expected  every 
moment  to  hear  the  shout  of  the  heavenly  host 
descending  from  the  Father's  glory,  to  welcome 
you,  a  weary  pilgrim,  to  your  blessed  abode  of 
eternal  rest.  In  that  eventful  period  where  was 
the  world  with  all  its  vain  allurements  and  empty 
show  ?     It  was  gone. 

" '  If  our  Saviour  then  had  come  as  we  expected, 
no  tears  would  have  fallen  for  a  receding  world, 
nor  sighs  have  heaved  our  breasts  for  a  dissolv- 
ing earth,  with  all  its  pomp,  its  pleasures,  or  its 
praises.  All  this  was  then  no  more  to  us  than 
is  a  bubble  in  Niagara's  cataract.  God's  good- 
ness gave  us  then  a  slight  repast,  like  Elijah's 
meat,  that  lasted  forty  days.  And  how  can  you, 
or  we,  give  up  a  hope  so  full  of  joy,  of  holy  love 
and  heavenly  anticipation,  as  is  this  ?  The  world 
may  frown  and  scoff;  the  unbelieving  church  may 
laugh  and  sneer  and  try  to  call  us  back.  They 
may  and  will  report  their  slanderous  tales  to  com- 
plete our  trials,  vainly  supposing  they  can  wound 
our  pride,  and  by  this  means  take  away  our  hope, 
and  make  us,  like  themselves,  a  whited  sepul- 
cher.  In  all  our  trials  those  who  have  obtained 
this  blessed  hope  by  the  study  of  the  Scriptures 
have  remained  steadfast  and  immovable  among 
the  scoffs  and  jeers  with  which  we  have  been 
assailed. 

"'This,  to  us,  is  a  source  of  great  joy;  and  it 
shows  conclusively  where  our  faith  is  founded 
and  our  hope  predicated.  It  is  upon  the  sure 
word  of  prophecy,  and  no  other  evidence,  that 
we  rely.  This  is  our  main  support,  as  even  our 
opposers  will,  and  do,  admit ;  or  why  do  they,  in 
their  attacks  upon  us,  fii-st  try  to  sliow  tliat  proph» 


324  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

ecy  is  not  to  be  understood,  or  if  it  is,  that  it  is 
couched  in  such  mystical  and  ambiguous  language, 
that  the  ignorant  and  unlearned  (as  they  are 
pleased  to  call  us  poor  Bible  students,  in  their 
mighty  clemency)  cannot  comprehend  its  true 
import  ?  Or  why  do  they  ridicule  us  as  a  set  of 
fanatical,  unlearned  heretics,  in  trying  to  under- 
stand the  sure  word  of  prophecy,  without  first 
coming  to  our  bishops,  or  themselves,  to  learn 
what  the  original  text  may  mean  ?  Why  do  they 
use  these  and  similar  arguments  in  order  to  over- 
throw us  if  they  are  not  sensible  of  the  fact  that 
the  prophecies  of  God's  word  are  our  main  pillar  ? 
Why  do  they,  without  any  discrimination,  try  to 
make  our  sure  word  of  prophecy  so  dark,  mys- 
terious, and  incomprehensible,  and  in  many  in- 
stances acknowledge  their  own  ignorance,  and 
then  call  us  heretics  because  we  search  and  be- 
lieve what  to  us  looks  clear,  consistent,  and  har- 
monious with  every  part  of  God's  holy  word  ?  But, 
say  they,  "time  has  proved  you  in  an  error;  un- 
erring time  has  favored  us,  and  proved  what  you 
say  we  failed  to  do." 

" '  True,  gentleman,  time  has  failed  us  in  one 
or  two  instances,  yet  you  cannot  show  why  ?  And 
as  you  do  not  show  any  reason  for  the  failure, 
permit  us  to  give  ours  before  we  take  your  ground 
and  deny  that  prophecy  can  be  understood.  Every 
man  of  common  intellect  and  information  knows 
that  we  are  dependent  in  some  things  on  what 
we  call  human  chronology  for  the  conclusion  of  our 
])remises  as  it  respects  ihiie.  Again,  they  well 
know  that  our  most  learned  and  studious  writers 
and  liistorians  disagree  in  the  chronology  of  the 
events  fi-om  which  we  date,  some  four  or  live  3"ear«. 
It  is  triio  that  we  who  liaxe  been  laost  cliicient  in 


ADDRESS   TO    BELTEAERS.  325 

l>ic;;onliiJg  this  subjort  heroic  tlic  pnhiic,  liuvc 
chosen,  and  we  think  wisely  too,  the  eailicst  pos- 
sible time  at  which  these  momentous  things  might 
be  expected  to  transpire,  believing  that  it  would 
be  infinitely  better  for  the  souls  of  our  fellow- 
beings  to  come  short  of  the  time,  rather  than  to 
pass  over.  And  indeed,  we  do  not  sec  any  good 
reason  now  why  we  should  not  have  done  in  this 
matter  as  we  have ;  for  if  we  had  looked  only  to 
the  very  last  point  of  disputed  time,  and  the  ac- 
complishment had  come  before  that,  or  even  at 
that  time,  how  could  there  have  been  a  tarrying 
time  as  the  Bible  perdicts  ? 

" '  How  could  there  have  been  a  time  for  the 
trial  of  our  faith  and  patience,  and  the  purifying 
and  sanctifying  of  the  whole  house  of  the  true 
Israel  ?  If  we  had  not  anticipated  the  time  a 
little,  with  what  propriety  coukl  the  wicked  scoffer 
and  those  who  professedly  belong  to  the  house  of 
Israel  say,  "  The  days  are  prolonged,  and  every 
vision  failetli "  ?  and  what  has  God  said  we  shall 
answer  this  rebellious  house  of  Israel  with  ? 
With  another  speciticd  time?  No.  How  then 
shall  we  ever  silence  their  caviling  and  scoffing, 
if  we  can  fax  no  future  time  ?  We  answer,  That 
is  not  our  work  to  do.  (iod  has  promised  to  do 
that  work.  Hark  !  and  hear  what  the  Ijord  saith. 
"  I  will  make  this  proverb  to  cease,  and  they  shall 
no  more  use  it  as  a  proverb  in  Israel."  (lod  will 
perform  his  engagements  in  his  own  time  and 
manner.    We  have  only  to  believe  and  be  patient. 

" '  But  we  are  taunted  with, "  Oh  !  you  have  pro- 
longed your  vision  again  and  again;  and  you 
have  failed  every  time;  now  won't  you  give  it  up 
and  come  back  to  us  ?  You  are  not  honest  if  you 
will  not."     When  they  thus  call   us   dishonest, 


326  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

have  we  nothing  wc  can  ,say  ?  11  we  altogether 
lioUl  our  peace,  they  will  be  wise  in  their  own 
eenceits,  and  go  and  report  that  they  have  shut 
up  our  mouths  so  that  we  could  not  say  a  word 
for  ourselves;  and  thus  the  cause  would  be  in- 
jured. But  never  fea,r,  brethren;  God  has  told 
you  what  to  say ;  do  as  he  bids  you,  and  he  will 
take  care  of  the  consequences.  God  says,  "  But 
say  unto  them.  The  days  are  at  hand,  and  the 
effect  of  every  vision."  See  Eze.  12  :  21-25.  So 
we  see  God  has  been  in  this  thing ;  he  well  knew 
into  what  a  straightened  place  we  should  be 
brought ;  he  knew  what  the  rebellious  house 
of  Israel  would  say,  and  he  has  given  us  the  best 
weapon  of  defense. 

" '  The  word  of  God  has  a  sufficiency  of  all 
armor,  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect,  thor- 
oughly furnished  to  every  good  work.  We  there- 
fore hope  that  none  of  us  will  try  to  change  the 
chronology  of  the  visions ;  for  they  must  all  fail 
in  all  our  eyes ;  and  if  any  vision  should  be  so 
construed  as  to  fix  on  another  definite  time  in  the 
future,  we  cannot  conceive  how  the  Scripture 
would  be  fulfilled,  that  "every  vision  faileth." 
Let  us  then  be  satisfied  in  patiently  waiting  for 
God's  time.  But  let  us  be  carefiil  that  we  do  not 
lay  off  our  armor,  cease  our  watching,  go  to  sleep 
at  our  post,  or  be  caught  ija  a  snare,  when  the 
Son  of  man  shall  come.  It  is  better  to  be  ready 
before  the  time,  and  wait  a  while,  than  not  to  be 
ready  when  the  time  shall  come,  and  be  lost.  We 
exhort  you  then  with  the  Lord's  advice,  "  be  like 
men  waiting  for  their  Lord,  that  when  he  cometh 
they  may  open  to  him  immediately." 

" '  Again,  we  exhort  you,  brethren,  that  every 
one  may  edify,  and  be  edified,  that   ye  forsake 


ADDRESS    TO    DELIEVERS.  327 

not  the  assembling  of  yourselves  together,  as  often 
as  your  situation  and  circumstances  shall  permit ; 
that  we  may  comfort  and  console  each  other  in 
our  trials,  be  established  ourselves  in  the  present 
truth,  and  our  minds  be  stirred  up  to  remember 
that  our  Judge  is  now  standing  at  the  door.  How 
can  we  who  have  taken  so  great  delight  in  the 
study  of  the  blessed  Bible,  again  return  to  the 
beggarly  elements  of  vain  philosophy  and  tradi- 
tion of  the  fathers  ?  We  cannot  sit  under  preach- 
ing where  the  Bible  is  discarded  from  the  pulpit, 
except  as  a  text-book,  and  the  plainest  ]>assages 
of  Scripture  are  mysticised  and  explained  away, 
our  hope  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body  taken 
from  us,  and  the  kingdom  of  Heaven  preached  as 
in  this  state  of  division,  persecution  and  death, 
and  the  promise  of  being  caught  up  in  the  air, 
ridiculed  by  the  oft-repeated  slang  of  ascension 
robes.  These  things  we  cannot  fellowship ;  we 
will  not  hear  them  repeated.  We  therefore  advise 
you,  dear  brethren,  to  hold  meetings  for  prayer, 
reading  of  the  Scriptures,  exhortation  and  sing- 
ing, if  you  may  not  be  able  to  obtain  a  lecturer 
or  preacher.  And  may  the  Spirit  of  God  bless 
you  with  his  presence,  and  preserve  you  blame- 
less unto  his  coming. 

" '  Again  we  exhort  you,  brethren,  to  be  faith- 
ful in  business.  Let  every  one  labor  with  his 
hands,  in  the  several  callings  in  which  God  has 
placed  us,  that  none  of  us  may  be  a  burden  to 
any,  and  that  we  may  all  of  us  have  wherewith 
to  communicate  and  do  good,  for  it  is  more 
blessed  to  give  than  to  receive ;  and  that  we  may 
none  of  us  give  any  occasion  to  our  enemies  to 
reproach  us  with  being  busybodies  in  other  men's 
matters,  or  as  not  providing  for  our  own  house. 


328  LIFK    OF    MILT.ER. 

Ill  Ihius  doing  wc  may  pat  to  Hilciicc  tko  re- 
proaches of  those  who  are  seeking  every  occasion 
to  destroy  the  doctrine  that  we  rejoice  to  believe. 
We  may,  while  we  ai'c  engaged  in  our  several  oc- 
cupations, be  fervent  in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord. 
If  we  could  not,  it  would  be  evidence  that  we 
were  not  engaged  in  a  proper  calling;  or,  that 
our  hearts  were  not  right  with  God.  Paul,  the 
great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles,  labored  with  his 
hands,  that  he  might  not  be  chargeable  to  the 
.  saints ;  and  what  was  duty  then,  will  be  duty  as 
long  as  the  gospel  remains  to  be  preached.  And 
we  thank  God  we  have  never  preached  any  other 
doctrine,  you  yourselves  being  our  judges. 

" '  We  also  beseech  you,  brethren,  by  the  com- 
ing of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  ye  be  not  led 
about  by  every  spirit ;  but  try  the  spirits.  For 
every  spirit  is  not  of  God ;  and  it  is  now  evident 
that  there  are  many  spirits  in  the  earth, — even 
the  three  unclean  spirits  which  are  working  mir- 
acles, and  deceiving  not  only  kings,  but  the  whole 
earth.  It  therefore  becomes  us  to  be  very  cau- 
tious by  what  spirit  we  are  led.  The  spirit  of 
error  will  lead  us  from  the  truth ;  and  the  Spirit 
of  God  will  lead  us  into  truth.  But,  say  you,  a 
man  may  be  in  error,  and  think  he  has  the  truth. 
What  then  ?  We  answer,  The  spirit  and  word 
agree.  If  a  man  judges  himself  by  the  word  of 
God,  and  finds  a  perfect  harmony  through  the 
whole  word,  then  we  must  believe  we  have  the 
truth ;  but  if  he  finds  the  spirit  by  which  he  is 
led  does  not  harmonize  with  the  whole  tenor  of 
God's  law,  or  book,  then  let  us  walk  carefully, 
lest  we  be  caught  in  the  snare  of  the  devil  and 
fall  from  our  own  steadfastness;  and  so  be  de- 
ceived, and  lose  the  crown  for  which  we  are  run- 


ADDKESR    TO    nRLTEVERS.  ?.20 

iiing.  Lei  U8  IblJow  the  ieacliiiigs  of  the  ii|»u,stle 
Paul  in  Titus  2:12,  "  That  denying  ungodliness 
and  worldly  lusts,  we  should  live  soberly,  right- 
eously, and  godly,  in  this  present  world."  Or.  as 
Peter  tells  us  in  his  second  epistle,  chap.  8:11, 
"  Seeino[  then  that  all  these  thino;s  shall  be  dis- 
solved,  what  manner  of  persons  ought  ye  to 
be  in  all  holy  conversation  and  godliness."  In 
both  cases  the  context  teaches  us  to  look  for  the 
coming  of  the  day  of  God ;  or,  which  is  the  same 
thing,  "  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  God 
and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ." 

" '  There  are  a  few  individuals  among  us  who 
are  teaching  that  Christ  has  come,  and  that  we 
^were  not  mistaken  in  the  time,  but  only  in  the 
manner  of  his  coming.  Let  us  be  careful  lest  we 
cease  from  our  watchfulness  and  so  that  day  come 
upon  us  unawares.  Remember  that  the  same 
Jesus  will  come  in  like  manner  as  they  saw  him 
ascend  ;  and  every  eye  shall  see  him,  and  we  shall 
see  him  as  he  is,  and  be  like  him,  when  that  day 
shall  come  for  which  we  look ;  and  then  "  the 
heavens  being  on  fire,  shall  be  dissolved,  and  the 
elements  melt  with  fervent  heat."  If  the  one 
can  be  spiritualized  away,  all  the  rest  must  of 
course  be  spiritualized  in  like  manner;  and  it 
would  make  the  whole  description  of  the  Judg- 
ment but  a  jumble  of  nonsense.  We  hope  but 
few  will  be  carried  away  by  such  vain  trifling 
with  the  Bible. 

" '  If  God  does  not  mean  what  he  says,  to  whom 
shall  we  go  for  instruction  ?  Who  has  been  his 
counselor  ?  and  who  has  set  in  the  council  cham- 
ber of  the  Almighty  ?  Man  is  but  grass,  and  the 
flower  thereof  fadeth.  He  is  but  of  yesterday, 
and  his  life  but  a  breath.     "  Cursed  is  the  man 


330  I.FFE    OF    MILLEfi. 

who  trusteth  in  iiiaD,  and  maketh  tlesh  his  arm, 
and  whose  heart  departeth  from  the  Lord."  Hold 
on  then,  brethren,  to  the  sure  word  of  prophecy, 
for  you  will  reap  soon  the  fruits  of  your  faith, 
if  you  faint  not.' 

"January  29, 1845,  by  the  action  of  an  ecclesi- 
astical council,  Mr.  Miller  and  the  majority  of  the 
church  in  Low  Hampton  were  virtually  separated 
from  the  Baptist  denomination.  About  this  time 
Mr.  Miller  wrote  the  following,  which  appeared  in 
the  Advent  Herald  for  Feb.  12,  1845  :— 

" '  Dear  Bro.  Bliss  :  I  have  received  a  num- 
ber of  letters  from  almost  every  part  of  the  coun- 
try, almost  all  of  them  propounding  the  same 
questions,  viz..  What  I  thought  of  the  experience 
we  had  in  what  was  denominated  the  seventh 
month  ?  And  also.  What  was  my  opinion  con- 
cerning the  closing  of  the  door  of  mercy,  or  pro- 
bation for  sinners  ?  To  save  a  multiplicity  of 
letters,  I  thought  best  to  answer  these  queries 
through  the  Herald,  if  you  should  think  proper. 

"'1.  The  experience  of  the  seventh  month. 
The  sympathetic  and  simultaneous  movement  on 
the  minds  of  almost  all  the  Second  Advent  breth- 
ren, and  on  many  others  preceding  the  tenth,  the 
rapidity  with  which  that  sentiment  was  received, 
the  general  credence  that  was  given  to  it,  by 
nearly  all  of  those  who  were  looking  for  imme- 
diate redemption,  the  humbling  effect  it  produced 
on  the  hearts  and  conduct  of  those  who  believed, 
— in  the  abandonment  of  all  worldly  objects,  the 
sacrifice  of  earthly  goods,  and  in  many  cases  the 
total  dedication  of  soul  and  body  to  God, — the 
deep  and  anxious  feelings  of  heart  which  many 
of  us  felt,  all  marked  its  character.     Then  we  ex- 


ADDBRSS   TO    BELIEVERS.  331 

peeled  eveiy  moiiicnl  the  heavens  would  open 
and  reveal  to  iis  the  dear  Saviour  with  all  his 
shining  hosts,  and  we  shouhl  see  the  graves  open 
and  the  loved  forms  of  our  relations  rising  from 
their  dusty  beds  in  immortal  bloom  and  eternal 
life;  and  we  ourselves  pass  the  sudden  change 
from  mortality  to  immortality,  from  time  to  eter- 
nity. Then,  as  we  verily  thought,  we  had  bid 
adieu  to  this  world  of  sin,  of  misery  and  woe, 
and  expected  to  be  ushered  into  the  new  heavens 
and  new  earth  wherein  dwelleth  righteousness. 
Oh,  blissful  day  !  How  solemn,  yet  how  interest- 
ing. I  hope  to  see  another  day  like  this,  and  liter- 
ally realize  what  I  then  expected.  It  was  a  day 
long  to  be  remembered,  and  I  cannot  account  for 
it  on  any  other  principle  than  to  suppose  God's 
benevolent  hand  and  wisdom  was  in  the  move- 
ment  

" '  But  you  ask  why  I  do  not  show  whether 
the  probation  of  sinners  is  ended.  *  I  answer. 
It  is  a  close  point,  and  if  handled  at  all,  it  ought 
to  be  done  very  wisely  and  with  a  great  deal  of 
humility.    I  would  not  grieve,  if  possible  to  avoid 

*  From  this  communication,  the  reader  will  be  able  to  gather 
much  relative  to  the  trials  of  the  time  when  it  was  written.  Mr. 
Miller  had  not  the  true  light  upon  the  sanctuary  question,  conse- 
quently held  that  the  2500  and  1335  days  reached  to  the  second 
coming  of  Christ.  But  at  the  same  time,  his  convictions  were  so 
very  strong  that  the  hand  of  God  had  been  in  the  distinct  move- 
ments of  1843  and  ISii,  that  leading  Adventists  could  not  influ- 
ence him  to  reject  the  work  of  God  in  his  past  deep  experience. 
This  communication  called  out  a  reply  nearly  twice  its  length 
from  the  editors  of  the  ILrald,  He  respected  and  loved  these 
his  fellow-laborers  ;  and  any  statement  that  he  was  not  influenced 
by  them  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  would  be  unreasonable.  And 
although  at  a  later  period  he  did  enter  the  lecturing  field,  he 
held  firmly,  to  the  daj'  of  his  death,  that  he  was  fully  justified 
in  preaching  the  time.  j.  w. 


6.yJi  LIFE    OF    MILLEU. 

it,  uiic  ol"  ('Iiii.sC's  little  (tiics.  'IMierc  i.s  iimcli 
sensitiveness  on  tliis  point  among  our  good  breth- 
ren, therefore  I  would  much  rather  keep  my 
views  in  ray  own  breast,  if  I  could,  and  do  right, 
than  run  the  risk  of  hurting  the  oil  and  the  wine. 
You  will,  therefore,  permit  me  to  give  my  views 
by  the  Scripture;  and  first,  Dan.  12:10,  "Many 
shall  be  purified,  and  made  white,  and  tried ;  but 
the  wicked  shall  do  wickedly ;  and  none  of  the 
wicked  shall  understand ;  but  the  wise  shall  un- 
derstand." It  will  be  readily  seen  by  this  text, 
that  before  the  end,  the  people  of  God  must  be 
" purtjied,  made  ivhite,  and  tried:'  Now  if  pro- 
bation goes  on  until  the  last  moment  of  time, 
how  can  those  who  are  regenerated  in  this  last 
moment  have  their  faith  and  patience  tried  ? 

" '  Again,  Rev.  7:13,  14,  "  And  one  of  the  eld- 
ers answered,  saying  unto  me,  What  are  these 
which  are  arrayed  in  white  robes?  and  whence 
came  they  ?  And  I  said  unto  him.  Sir,  thou 
knowest.  And  he  said  to  me.  These  are  they 
which  came  out  of  great  tribulation,  and  have 
washed  their  robes,  and  made  them  white  in  the 
blood  of  the  Lamb."  How  can  it  be  said,  that 
those  made  ivltite  "  came  out  of  great  tribulation," 
if  in  the  next  moment  after  they  experience  the 
new  birth,  they  are  beyond  all  tribulation  and 
trial  ?  Also  in  the  first  passage,  the  wicked  are 
to  do  wickedly ;  and  itonc  of  the  wicked  shall 
understand.  Yet  if  one  of  these  wicked  is  con- 
verted after  the  time  specified,  then  the  word 
none  could  not  be  true  in  fact.  This  must  be  in 
time,  it  cannot  mean  in  eternity. 

"  '  Zech.  13  :  9,  "  And  I  will  bring  the  third  part 
through  the  fire,  and  will  refine  them  as  silver  is 
refined,  and  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried  ;  they 


ADDRESS   TO    BELIEVEKS.  333 

yhall  call  on  my  name,  and  I  will  hear  them ;  I 
will  say,  It  is  my  people  ;  and  the}^  shall  say.  The 
Lord  is  my  God."  Here  we  learn  that  they  are 
tried  in  this  state,  where  they  will  need  to  pray. 

" '  Mai.  3:18,  "  Then  shall  ye  return,  and  dis- 
cern between  the  righteous  and  the  wicked,  be- 
tween him  that  serveth  God  and  him  that  serv- 
eth  him  not."  When  shall  that  test  be  given, 
which  shall  make  us  discern  between  the  rigld- 
eoiis  and  the  wicked  ?  The  answer  is  plain,  be- 
fore the  day  cometh  that  shall  burn  as  an  oven. 
For  in  that  day  no  doubt  could  rest  on  any  mind, 
who  is  who,  or  what  is  the  character  each  indi- 
vidual would  appear  in. 

"'Rev.  22:11,  "He  that  is  unjust,  let  him  be 
unjust  still ;  and  he  which  is  filthy,  let  him  be 
filthy  still ;  and  he  that  is  righteous,  let  him  be 
righteous  still ;  and  he  that  is  holy,  let  him  be  ho- 
ly still."  This  text  is  perfectly  plain  and  needs 
no  comment.  The  12th  verse,  "And  behold,  I 
come  quickly ;  and  my  reward  is  with  me,  to  give 
every  man  according  as  his  work  shall  be,"  shows 
that  a  little  while  before  Christ  comes,  every  char- 
acter will  be  determined.  "  He,"  that  is,  any  one, 
or  every  one  who  is  unjust  or  filthy,  let  him  be 
so  still ;  and  so  on  the  other  hand,  he  that  is  right- 
eous or  holy,  let  them  be  so  still.  "And  beJtold," 
connects  the  sentence  before  and  what  follows 
after,  and  is  a  caution  for  us  to  take  particular 
notice  of  the  reason  why  they  are  in  this  peculiar 
situation  or  fixed  state,  as  though  the  idle  serv- 
ants could  have  no  more  time  to  mind  their  day's 
work,  which  God  had  given  thorn  in  their  day  of 
]>roltation  to  jierform. 

"  '  The  eleventli  hour  was  passed,  and  no  chance 
I'ur  ihcra  to  enter  the  master's  \'ineyard  now,  in 


334  LIFK    OF    MILLER. 

this  last  hour.  While  on  the  other  hand,  the 
good  servant  might  know  that  the  good  master 
was  at  the  door,  and  he  would  quickly  pay  them 
their  wages,  and  relieve  them  from  their  toils. 
See  Matt.  20: 1-1 G. 

"  '  Then  this  agrees  with  St.  Paul,  Heb.  10  :  3G, 
37,  "  For  ye  have  need  of  patience,  that,  after  ye 
have  done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive  the 
promise.  For  yet  a  little  while,  and  he  that  shall 
come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry."  After  we 
have  done  our  work,  we  have  need  of  patience  to 
wait  for  the  Master,  "  for  yet  a  little  while,  and 
he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry." 
I  did  believe,  and  must  honestly  confess  I  do 
now,  that  I  have  done  my  work  in  warning  sin- 
ners, and  that  in  the  seventh  month.  I  know 
my  feelings  are  no  rule  for  others ;  therefore,  let 
every  one  who  feels  he  has  a  duty  to  do  for  sin- 
ners, let  him  do  it.  I  will  have  no  hard  feelings. 
But  I  must  be  honest ;  when  I  am  inquired  of,  I 
must  state  my  own  conviction  honestly.  I  have 
done  it,  and  given  my  reasons  from  the  word  of 
God.  And  now  let  me  say,  brethren,  we  will 
have  no  contention  on  this  point,  for  we  be  breth- 
ren. Let  every  man  be  fully  persuaded  in  his 
own  mind,  and  so  let  them  speak  or  preach,  as 
God  and  their  own  consciences  may  dictate. 

" '  I  have  a  strong  expectation  that  Christ  will 
come  before  the  Jewish  year  will  expire ;  but  let 
us  all  see  to  it  that  we  are  ready  every  day,  so 
that  when  he  comes  we  shall  not  be  ashamed  be- 
fore him.  This  letter  must  suffice  for  all  those 
friends  who  have  requested  my  views  on  the  sub- 
ject. My  love  to  all  who  love  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  and  pray  for  his  kingdom. 

"'Wm.  MllXETi; 


QUESTION    ANSWERED,  335 

"  The  editors  of  the  Advent  Herald  repUed  to 
Mr.  Miller's  arguments,  and  contended  that  pro- 
bation only  terminated  with  the  personal  coming 
of  Christ.  His  letter,  as  published,  gave  little 
satisfaction  to  either  party.  Both  claimed  him. 
To  determine  his  actual  position,  Prof  N,  N. 
Whiting  wrote  him,  and  Mr.  Miller  replied  as 
follows : — ' 

"  '  Low  Hampton,  Makcii  10,  1845. 

"  '  My  Dear  BiiornER : — Your  favor  of  the  5th 
was  gladly  received,  and  I  take  this  early  oppor- 
tunity to  answer  your  inquiries  as  far  as  my 
memory  or  knowledge  will  admit. 

"  '  As  it  respects  your  first  question,  whether, 
in  my  judgment,  "  the  time  of  probation  came  to 
an  end  on  the  22d  of  October  or  not,"  I  answer, 
My  mind  was  not  definite  on  that  da}^  But  the 
experience  and  scenes  of  that  month  were  as- 
tounding to  me,  and  my  mind  was  brought  to  a 
conclusion  that  God,  by  his  invisible  angels,  was 
separating  the  two  classes  of  men,  the  chaff  from 
the  wheat.  But  to  say  my  judgment  was  fully 
convinced  that  it  was  closed,  I  must  say,  No.  I 
know  it  is  true  that,  in  answer  to  a  score  of  let- 
ters, making  the  same  inquiries  as  yourself,  in  my 
letter,  published  in  the  Herald,  of  February  12, 
I  gave  several  texts,  which,  to  me,  were  evidence 
that,  before  Christ  came,  there  would  be  a  time 
when  men  would  seek,  knock,  and  cry,  and  it 
v/ould  not  be  opened ;  for,  how  sinners  could  or 
would  knock  in  the  eternal  state,  I  have  no  means 
of  knowing.  The  editors  of  the  Herald,  know- 
ing more  about  the  controversy  which  had  begun 
in  the  ranks  of  the  Adventists  than  I  did  or  could, 
in  order  to  pi-event  the  mischief  or  harm  which 


336  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

they  supposed  my  letter  might  do,  attached  their 
notes,  which  gave  the  brethren  on  the  other  side 
of  the  question  more  reason  to  suppose  I  had 
taken  the  ground  that  the  door  was  shut  in  the 

seventh  month 

" '  With  our  present  light,  it  would  be  impossi- 
ble for  any  man  to  prove  that  the  door  is  shut ; 
it  can  only  be  a  conjecture,  founded  upon  cir- 
cumstances in  the  case.  There  are  two  cases 
which  I  will  mention  :  one  would  be  the  cessa- 
tion of  the  operation  of  the  Spirit  upon  the 
hearts  of  the  truly  pious  in  laboring  and  praying 
for  sinners ;  and  the  other  must  be  the  fearful 
looking  for  the  fiery  indignation,  which,  I  think, 
according  to  the  Scripture,  must  seize  upon  the 
hearts  of  those  who  have  willfully  rejected  Christ. 
The  hypocrite  is  given  over  to  believe  a  lie,  con- 
sidering himself  safe  in  his  profession  ;  and,  con- 
sequently, the  despair  of  some,  and  the  perfect 
recklessness  of  others,  and  the  restraint  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  being  withdrawn  from  the  minds  of 
the  impenitent,  would  immediately  produce  a 
time  of  trouble  such  as  Daniel  12  : 1  speaks  of: 
"  And  at  that  time  shall  Michael  stand  up,  the 
great  Prince  which  standeth  for  the  children  of 
thy  people  ;  and  there  shall  be  a  time  of  trouble, 
such  as  never  was  since  there  was  a  nation  even 
to  that  same  time  ;  and  at  that  time  thy  people 
shall  be  delivered,  every  one  that  shall  be  found 
written  in  the  book."  These  would  at  least  be 
evidences  to  my  suspicion,  if  not  to  my  full  assur- 
ance. It  was  a  fact,  for  a  few  days  in  the  sev- 
enth month  in  the  circle  of  my  acquaintance, 
that  the  reports  I  heard  from  CA-ery  quarter  led 
me  to  have  strong  suspicion  that  we  had  ap- 
proached tlje  time  \vhi<:-]i  T  ranriotlnit  Itelif-ve  we 


QUESTION    ANSWERED.  337 

must  experience  before  the  end.  1  think  at  jjrcs- 
ent  the  evidence  is  strong  against  the  idea  of  the 
door  being  shut ;  but  those  brethren  who  have 
adopted  the  suspicion  at  least  ought  to  be  treated 
with  a  great  deal  of  kindness.  I  do  not  like 
much  I  have  seen  published  and  spoken  on  both 
sides  of  the  question.  It  is  one  of  that  kind  of 
questions  which  is  calculated  to  divide  warm 
friends  ;  for  it  cannot  be  settled  satisfactorily  but 
by  time  and  experience. 

" '  The  arguments,  in  my  humble  opinion,  on 
both  sides,  want  a  great  quantity  of  brotherly 
love  to  make  them  digest  easily.  I,  then,  beg 
and  pray,  my  brethren,  that  we  may  let  contention 
alone  before  it  is  meddled  with.*  And  I  now 
plead  with  those  who  have  supposed  the  door  to 
be  shut  to  yield  the  point  to  our  brethren  of  the 
opposite  view ;  for  it  is  evident  at  present  that 
all  the  evidence  is  against  its  being  now  shut,  if 
we  can  believe  the  reports  of  our  brethren  from 
different  parts ;  and  surely  my  soul  will  not  per- 
mit me  to  doubt  their  veracity  who  have  been 
with  us  as  pioneers  in  the  work  of  calling  up  the 
world  to  this  important  point  of  our  faith,  the 

*  The  leading  object  in  giving  matter  of  this  kind  from  the  pen 
of  Mr.  Miller  is  to  let  the  Christian  character  and  tender  spirit  of 
the  man  appear,  whom  God  had  raised  up  to  do  a  great  work.  He 
had  been  a  brave  soldier  in  the  service  of  his  country,  and  bad 
fearlessly  stood  in  defense  of  unpopular  truth,  and  had  dared  to 
meet  opposition,  scoSs,  and  even  scandal,  from  the  popular 
churches.  But  now,  under  the  most  trying  circumstances,  we  see 
the  aged  Christian  warrior,  clothed  with  humility  as  with  a  gar- 
ment, and  his  spirit  all  softened  and  sweetened  by  divine  grace, 
tenderly  entreating  his  brethren  to  be  patient,  gentle,  true,  and 
kind.  J.  w. 

Miller.  22 


3.38  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

second  advent  of  Jesus.  Let  us  be  silent  at 
least  for  two  months,  if  Christ  does  not  come  be- 
fore, and  by  that  time  I  think  we  shall  obtain 
more  light ;  and  if  Christ  does  come,  we  shall  not 
wish  to  be  found  contending  with  brethren  of  a 
like  precious  faith  on  a  subject  dependent  wholly 
on  circumstances  in  which  we  may  be  so  likely 
to  err.  I  do  hope  my  advice  will  be  heeded  in 
this  thing,  and  that  we  will  be  patient,  and  not 
grieve  each  other ;  for  the  Judge  is  at  the  door. 
.    .    .    .  William  Milleil' 

Writing  on  the  7th  of  April,  he  referred  to 
these  things  as  follows  : — 

'"Low  Hampton,  April  7,  1845. 

"  '  My  Dear  Bro.  Himes  :  I  should  utterly  de- 
spair of  the  second  advent  cause  were  it  not  evi- 
dent, by  its  past  and  present  history,  that  God 
is  for  us.  You  know,  my  dear  brother,  there 
was  a  time  when  you  and  I,  with  a  few  choice 
brethren,  stood  alone We  acknowl- 
edged our  weakness,  and  claimed  no  superiority 
over  our  fellows.  We  provoked  no  one  to  com- 
bat, and  made  no  attack  on  the  prevailing  or 
popular  institutions  of  the  day ;  yet  they  began 
to  be  alarmed.  Why  ?  Because,  as  the  people 
began  to  hear  the  foolish  reports  of  our  enemies, 
they  became  more  and  more  anxious  to  know 
what  these  things  meant.     ... 

'"Among  the  many  pious  who  took  sides  with 
us  were  some  of  those  uneasy,  ever- changing, 
unstable,  insubordinate,  and  self-exalted  spirits, 
who  stood  ready  to  jump  on  and  ride  into  no- 
tice and  power  the  moment  they  saw  how  the 
case^  would  go.  This  kind  of  spirits  have  al- 
ways seized  the  reins  of  government,  are  never 


LETTER   TO    THE    INVESTIGATOR.  339 

satisfied  with  tiicir  picKcrit  position,  and  vviJl 
change  with  eveiy  new  moon.  There  are  many 
of  this  class  among  us,  if  not  of  lis,  at  the  pres- 
ent time,  who  are  trying  to  lead  away  followers 
after  them. 

"  '  This  is  a  peculiar  time.  The  greatest  vari- 
ety of  fanciful  interpretations  of  Scripture  are 
now  being  presented  by  new  luminaries,  reflect- 
ing their  rays  of  light  and  heat  in  every  direc- 
tion. Some  of  these  are  wandering  stars,  and 
some  emit  only  twilight.  I  am  sick  of  this  ever- 
lasting changing ;  but,  my  dear  brother,  we  must 
learn  to  have  patience.  If  Christ  comes  this 
spring,  we  shall  not  need  it  long;  and  if  he 
comes  not,  we  shall  need  much  more.  I  am  pre- 
pared for  the  worst,  and  hope  for  the  best.  God 
will  not  forsake  us,  unless  we  forsake  him.     .     . 

"'It  is  a  small  thing  to  be  judged  of  man's 
judgment,  says  the  apostle;  so  that  you  need 
not  fear  man.  I  have  often  been  consigned  to 
perdition,  and  yet  I  have  a  blessed  hope.  I  often 
think,  when  I  hear  a  brother  judging  and  con- 
demning another,  what  an  excellent  pope  he 
would  make.  Therefore,  fear  them  not;  for  if 
we  judge  and  condemn  our  brother,  we  are  mak- 
ing ourselves  "judges  of  the  law,  rather  than  do- 
ers of  the  law."    .    .    .  Wm.  Miller.' 

We  find  in  the  Sii/n-s  of  the,  Tiones  for  March 
12,  184i'),  a  statement  from  Mr.  Miller  relative  to 
himself  and  the  Bible,  taken  from  l^he  Invcstif/a- 
tor,  an  infidel  paper  published  in  Boston. 

"'to    THE    EDITOR   OF   THE    INVESTKiATOR. 

" '  Sir, — Your  kind  oft'er  to  publish  all  the  letters 
from  those  who  have  been  converted  from  infidel- 


340  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

ity  to  Milleiism,  jirompta  nic  to  give  you  a  short 
account  of  my  own  conversion,  which  may  enable 
you  the  better  to  judge  what  Millerism  is. 

" '  When  I  was  of  age,  I  settled  in  a  village  where 
all  the  heads  of  the  families  were  deists,  as  they 
were  then  called,  and  they  put  into  my  hands 
all  the  deistical  writings  of  that  age.  I  soon  be- 
came one  of  them,  and  the  consequence  was,  I 
denied  the  Bible  being  of  divine  origin,  calling  it 
a  "  book  of  priestcraft,"  and  argued  that  the  pro- 
fessors of  it  themselves  must,  if  honest,  concede 
that  it  could  not  be  from  God ;  because  it  pro- 
fessed to  be  a  revelation  from  God,  and  yet  more 
than  half  was  a  mystery  which  could  not  be  un- 
derstood. And  some  went  as  far  as  to  say  we 
ought  not  to  try  to  understand  it.  This,  to  my 
mind,  was  a  plain  and  palpable  contradiction.  I 
therefore  rejected  the  Bible,  when  I  ought  to 
have  rejected  the  expounders  of  it.  Thus,  from 
1804  to  1816, 1  was  a  firm,  and,  as  I  then  thought, 
a  consistent,  opposer  of  the  Christian  faith.  In 
1816,  by  the  grace  of  God,  my  eyes  were  opened 
to  see  the  weakness  and  folly  of  my  own  faith, 
founded  on  nothing  but  the  philosophy,  assump- 
tions and  fancies  of  erring  mortals.  I  saw  a  great 
want  of  evidence  for  a  faith  in  these  matters, 
more  substantial  and  certain  than  anything  I 
then  had,  I  felt  in  my  inmost  soul  that  eternal 
consequences  might  hang  upon  my  faith  in  these 
things,  for  anything  to  the  contrary  which  I 
could  show.  I  had  often  laughed  at  my  Chris- 
tian friends  for  having  a  "  blind  faith"  believing 
what  they  could  not  understand.  I  now  saw 
that  my  faith  was  as  blind  as  theirs,  if  not  more 
so,  for  I  could  prove  nothing  hereafter,  and  of 
course  I  had  no  reasonable  hope. 


LETTER   TO    THE    INVESTIGATOR.  Zil 

"  '  This  brought  iiio  to  examine  for  myself  the 
evidence  of  the  Christian's  hope.  I  therefore 
laid  by  ray  former  prejudices,  prepossessions, 
commentators,  writers,  pro  and  con,  and  deter- 
mined in  my  own  mind  to  examine  the  Bible  for 
myself  And  if  the  Bible  diil  prove  itself  to  be 
of  divine  origin,  I  would  believe  it,  let  the  con- 
sequences be  as  they  might ;  but  if  it  did  not, 
then  I  would  reject  it  and  be  a  deist  still.  Then 
I  began  the  Bible,  determined  in  my  own  mind 
to  know  whether  God  or  man  was  the  author.  I 
spent  the  greater  part  of  two  years  in  reading  and 
comparing  scripture  with  scripture,  prophecy 
with  history,  and  I  had  not  gone  half  through 
with  the  reading  of  it,  before  I  was  perfectly  sat- 
isfied of  its  divine  origin.  No  mortal  man,  or 
men,  could  have  written  with  such  harmony, 
wisdom,  and  truth,  without  inspiration.  The 
Bible  answered  all  my  inquiries,  settled  all  my 
doubts,  established  my  faith,  and  gave  me  hope 
which  has  been  nearly  or  quite  twenty-seven 
years  an  anchor  to  my  soul.  I  have  seen  much 
of  it  fulfilled,  since  then,  and  I  can  truly  say,  If 
there  is  any  one  thing  on  earth  which  I  love 
above  all  others,  it  is  the  Bible. 

" '  And  now,  sir,  let  me  tell  you,  Millerism  is 
to  believe,  try  to  understand,  love,  and  proclaim 
to  others,  the  good  news  contained  in  the  Bible. 
This  is  all  I  have  ever  done  to  call  down  the  slan- 
der of  the  several  sects  which  I  have  received. 
I  can  say,  honestly,  I  have  never  designed  to  pro- 
claim or  publish  any  sentiment,  word,  or  doctrine, 
but  such  as  I  found  clearly  taught  in  that  blessed 
inspired  volume.  Let  God  be  my  judge,  I  know 
I  believe  it.  And  I  pray  God  that  you,  my  dear 
sir,  may  become  a  Millerite  too. 


343  LIFE    OK    MILLER. 

" '  For  I  believe  there  is  no  religion  in  our 
world  that  gives  such  a  blessed  hope  as  the  re- 
ligion of  the  Bible.  All  others  are  dark  and  in- 
comprehensible concerning  a  future  state.  "  To 
be,  or  not  to  be,"  was  a  question  which  the  an- 
cient philosophers  of  Greece  and  Rome  could 
never  settle  among  themselves.  Nor  all  the  wis- 
dom of  our  modern  writers  were  able  to  settle 
this  important  point  for  our  hope.  But  you  will 
acknowledge,  if  the  Bible  is  the  word  of  inspira- 
tion, then  that  point  is  forever  settled,  and  we 
have  an  answer  to  the  question  of  immortality 
and  eternal  life. 

" '  I  admire  your  frankness  and  generosity  as 
an  opponent,  and  believe  you  are  not  wishing  to 
bind  men  to  your  particular  views  or  creed ;  but 
are  willing  to  search  yourself,  and  to  let  all  oth- 
ers search  for  true  light,  on  so  important  a  sub- 
ject as  I  think  this  matter  is, — the  truth  or  falsi- 
ty of  what  I  call  the  blessed  Bible.  I  have  strong 
hope,  my  dear  sir,  that  you  will  give  this  subject 
a  thorough  investigation.  As  it  respects  the 
statement  of  Bro.  Himes,  if  you  will  keep  open 
your  columns  as  fairly  as  you  hitherto  have  done, 
you  will  soon  be  convinced  it  was  not  a  very 
random  shot.  I  am,  sir,  a  lover  of  an  honest  man. 
Yours,  kc,  Wm.  Mit,ler.' 


ALLAN V  CONFERENCE.  343 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

MUTUAL  CONFERENCE  AT  ALBANY — DECLARATION  OF  PRIN- 
CIPLES— PLAN  OF  OPERATIONS — ADDRESS  TO  THE  BRETH- 
REN— ACTION  OF  THE  CONFERENCE  DEFENDED  BY  MR. 
MILLER,  ETC. 

"  On  the  23d  of  April,  Mr.  Miller,  in  company 
with  Mr.  Himes,  visited  Albany,  and  commenced 
a  course  of  lectures  on  the  prophecies.  Mr.  M. 
spoke  with  his  usual  clearness  and  ability,  was  in 
good  spirits,  and  was  listened  to  by  a  large  and 
respectful  audience. 

"  On  the  29th,  the  Conference  assembled  at  !> 
A.  M.,  at  the  '  House  of  Prayer,'  in  Grand  street. 
After  singing,  and  a  prayer  by  Mr.  Miller,  it  was 
temporarily  organized  by  the  choice  of  Mr.  Miller, 
Chairman,  and  Mr.  Himes,  Secretary,  who  stated 
the  objects  for  which  the  Conference  had  been 
called,  namely,  '  to  consult  together  respecting 
the  condition  and  wants  of  brethren  in  the  sev- 
eral sections  of  the  country ;  that  we  may  be 
better  enabled  to  act  in  concert,  and  with  more 
efficiency,  in  the  promulgation  of  gospel  truths.' 

"  After  the  names  and  residences  of  members 
were  ascertained,  the  (Jonference  was  fully  organ- 
ized  by  the  choice  of  Rev.  Elon  Galusha,  of  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y.,  President,  and  S.  Bliss  and  O.  R. 
Fassett,  Secretaries. 

"  A  committee  of  twelve,  consisting  of  William 
Miller,  Josiah  Litch,  N.  N.  Whiting,  J.  Y.  Himes, 
Sylvester  Bliss,  L.  I).  Fleming,  Frastiis  Parker, 
H.  C'asvv^ell,  I.  R.  Gates,  I.  IJ.  Shipman,  Pros])er 
Powell,  and  Flon  (Galusha,  were  ajtpointcd  to 
.arr.anffe  busincsfi  f-u-  the  action  oj"  the  C<.niercnee. 


344  LIFE    OF    MILLER, 

While  they  were  thus  engaged,  the  others  were 
profitably  occupied  in  listening  to  statements  of 
the  condition  of  things  in  different  sections  of  the 
country.  The  committee  reported,  in  part,  on  the 
second  day,  and  in  full  on  the  third  and  last  day 
of  the  session  as  follows :  — 

"  '  REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE  TO  THE  CONFERENCE. 

" '  Your  committee,  appointed  for  the  purpose 
of  taking  into  consideration  the  great  principles 
upon  which  we  can  unite  and  act  in  advancing 
the  cause  of  truth,  for  the  edification  of  the  body 
of  Christ,  the  salvation  of  souls,  and  the  prepara- 
tion of  man  for  the  near  advent  of  the  Saviour, 
submit  the  following  report : — 

" '  In  view  of  the  many  conflicting  opinions, 
unscriptural  views,  leading  to  unseemly  practices, 
and  the  sad  divisions  which  have  been  thereby 
caused  by  some  professing  to  be  Adventists,  we 
deem  it  incumbent  on  us  to  declare  to  the  world 
our  belief  that  the  Scriptures  teach,  among  oth- 
ers, the  following 

"  '  IMPORTANT    TRUTHS. 

"'1.  That  the  heavens  and  earth  which  are 
now,  by  the  word  of  God,  are  kept  in  store,  re- 
served unto  fire  against  the  day  of  Judgment  and 
perdition  of  ungodly  men.  That  the  day  of  the 
Lord  will  come  as  a  thief  in  the  night,  in  the 
which  the  heavens  shall  pass  away  with  a  great 
noise,  and  the  elements  shall  melt  with  fervent 
heat;  the  earth  also,  and  the  works  that  are 
therein,  shall  be  burned  up.  That  the  Lord  will 
create  new  heavens  and  a  new  cartli,   wherein 


DECLARATION   OF     rKIXCIPLES.  345 

righteousness — tbat  is,  the  righteous — will  for- 
ever  dwell.^  And  that  the  kingdom  and  the  do- 
minion under  the  whole  heaven  shall  be  given  to 
the  people  of  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose 
kingdom  is  an  everlasting  kingdom,  and  all  do- 
minions shall  serve  and  obey  him.- 

"  '  2.  That  there  are  but  two  advents  or  appear- 
ings  of  the  Saviour  to  this  earth."^  That  both  are 
personal  and  visible.*  That  the  first  took  place 
in  the  days  of  Herod,^  when  he  was  conceived  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,"  born  of  the  Virgin  Mary,"  went 
about  doing  good,^  suffered  on  the  cross,  the  just 
for  the  unjust,^  died,^'^  was  buried,"  arose  again 
the  third  day,  the  first-fruits  of  them  that  slept,'" 
and  ascended  into  the  heavens,'^  which  must  re- 
ceive him  until  the  times  of  the  restitution  of  all 
things,  spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all  the  holy 
prophets.'*  That  the  second  coming  or  appear- 
ing will  take  place  when  he  shall  descend  from 
Heaven,  at  the  sounding  of  the  last  trump,  to  give 
his  people  rest,''^  being  revealed  from  heaven  in 
flaming  fire,  taking  vengeance  on  them  that  know 
not  God,  and  obey  not  the  gospel."^  And  that 
he  will  judge  the  quick  and  the  dead  at  his  ap- 
pealing and  kingdom.'^ 

'"3.  That  the  second  coming  or  appearing  is  in- 
dicated to  be  now  emphatically  nigh,  even  at  the 
doors,^^  by  the  chronology  of  the  prophetic  peri- 
ods,''* the  fulfillment  of  prophecy,-'*  and  the  signs 

i2Pet.  3:7,10,in.      i"Luke23:4G.  1^2  Tim.  4:1. 

^  Dan.  7  :  27.  "  Luke  23  :  53.  i"  Matt.  24  :  33. 

3Heb.  9:28.  i-=  1  Cor.  15  :  4.  )■' Dan.  7  :  25  ;  8  : 

<  Acts  1:9, 11.  '^Luke24:51.  14;    9:24;  12: 

5  Matt.  2  : 1.  "  Acts  3  :  21.  7,  11,  12 ;  Rev. 

«  Matt.  1:18.  i^l   Thess.  4  :  1(5,  9:10,   15;  11: 

'  Matt.  1  :  25.  17  :    1  Cor.  15  :  2,  3  ;  12  :  G,  14 : 

"Matt.  11:5.  52.  13:5. 

« 1  Pet.  3  :  IS.  I''  2  Thess.  1  :  7,  8.  -"  J)an.2d,7th,8tli, 


346  LIFE    OF    MlLLEll. 

of  the  times."^  And  that  this  truth  should  be 
preached  both  to  saints  and  sinners,  that  the  first 
may  rejoice,  knowing  their  redemption  draweth 
nigh,^^  and  the  last  be  warned  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come,^^  before  the  Master  of  the  house 
shall  rise  up  and  shut  to  the  door?* 

" '  4.  That  the  condition  of  salvation  is  repent- 
ance toward  God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ.^^  And  that  those  who  have  repentance 
and  faith  will  live  soberly,  and  righteously,  and 
godly,  in  this  present  world,  looking  for  that 
blessed  hope,  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the 
great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.'*' 

" '  5,  That  there  will  be  a  resurrection  of  the 
bodies  of  all  the  dead,^'  both  of  the  just  and  the 
unjust.^  That  those  who  are  Christ's  will  be 
raised  at  his  coming.-^  That  the  rest  of  the  dead 
will  not  live  again  until  after  a  thousand  years.^" 
And  that  the  saints  shall  not  all  sleep,  but  shall 
be  changed  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  at  the 
last  trump."^ 

" '  G.  That  the  only  millennium  taught  in  the 
word  of  God  is  the  thousand  years  which  are  to 
intervene  between  the  first  resurrection  and  that 
of  the  rest  of  the  dead,  as  inculcated  in  the  20th 
of  Revelation."  And  that  the  various  portions  of 
scripture  which  refer  to  the  mil lennial  state  are 
to  have  their  fulfillment  after  the  resurrection  of 
all  the  saints  who  sleep  in  Jesus."' 

" '  7.  That  the  promise,  that  Abraljam  should 


'.nil,    nth,    and  22  j,i,ke     2]  :  2s  ;  •■;' John  5  :  2S,   29. 

12th      chaps,  ;  1  Thess.^4  :  1^;.  ""Acts  24:15. 

Uev.  nth,  mil,  •-::'2Cor.  5  :11.  •■;"  1  Cor.  15  :  23. 

12th,  lyth,  14th  •-■"  Luke  13 :  24,  25.  ■"'  Rev.  20  :  5. 

and  17th  chaps.  -- A(,t,s      20:21;  -» 1  Cor.  15:  51,  52. 

-'  Matt.    24:   2'J  ;  Mark  1  :15.  ■iniev.  20  :2-7. 

Luke  21  :  25,  21).  s*  TitiKS  2  :  11-13.  ^^  Isa.    11:35:1, 


KECLAKATION    OF     rKINC'irLES.  347 

be  the  heir  of  the  world,  was  not  to  him,  or  to  his 
seed,  through  the  law,  but  through  the  righteous- 
ness of  faith.  '^  That  they  are  not  all  Israel  which 
are  of  Israel.'"^  That  there  is  no  difference,  under 
the  gospel  dispensation,  between  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile.'*^ That  the  middle  wall  of  partition  that  was 
between  them  is  broken  down,  no  more  to  be  re- 
built.''' That  God  will  render  to  every  man  ac- 
cording to  his  deeds.'"^  That  if  we  are  Christ's, 
then  are  we  Abraham's  seed,  and  heirs  according 
to  the  promise."^  And  that  the  only  restoration 
of  Israel,  yet  future,  is  the  restoration  of  the 
saints  to  the  earth,  created  anew,  when  God 
shall  open  the  graves  of  those  descendants  of 
Abraham  who  died  in  faith,  v/ithout  receiving 
the  promise,  with  the  believing  Gentiles  who 
have  been  grafted  in  with  them  into  the  same 
olive  tree ;  and  shall  cause  them  to  come  up  out 
of  their  graves,  and  bring  them,  with  the  living, 
who  are  changed,  into  the  land  of  Israel."^ 

" '  8.  That  there  is  no  promise  of  this  world's 
conversion.'^  That  the  horn  of  [)apacy  will  war 
with  the  saints,  and  j^revail  against  them,  until 
the  Ancient  of  ])ays  shall  come,  and  judgment  be 
given  to  the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  and  the 
time  come  that  tlie  saints  possess  the  kingdom.'- 
That  the  children  of  the  kingdom,  and  the  chil- 
dren of  the  wicked  one,  will  continue  together 
until  the  end  of  the  woild,  when  all  things  that 
offend  shall  be  gathered  out  of  the  kingdom,  and 
the  righteous  shall  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  the 


2,  5  10  ;  i!o  :  K  =■  Eph.  2  :  14,   l."..  Kom.     11  :  17  ; 

-25.  -■*  Koni.  2:  G.  John  5  :  2S,  2'.i. 

^*  Horn.  4:13.  ■■■'  <ial.  a  :  '1'.).  "  M  at  t.  24  :  14. 

•"^  Rom.  9  :  (i.  ^"  Eze.     37  :  1-'  ;  ^-  Kin    7:21,  22. 

'^«Rom.  10  :12.  Heb.  11  :V2,  IS: 


348  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

kingdom  of  their  Father/"  That  the  man  of  sin 
will  only  be  destroyed  by  the  brightness  of  Christ's 
coming."  And  that  the  nations  of  those  which 
are  saved  and  redeemed  to  God  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,  will  be  made  kings  and  priests 
unto  God,  to  reign  forever  on  the  earth.^^ 

"  '  0.  That  it  is  the  duty  of  the  ministers  of  the 
word  to  continue  in  the  work  of  preaching  the 
gospel  to  every  creature,  even  unto  the  end,^*"  call- 
ing upon  them  to  repent,  in  view  of  the  fact  that 
the  kingdom  of  Heaven  is  at  hand ;  ^''  that  their 
sins  may  be  blotted  out  when  the  times  of  re- 
freshing shall  come  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord.^^ 

" '  10.  That  the  de})arted  saints  do  not  enter 
their  inheritance,  or  receive  their  crowns,  at 
death.^^  That  they  without  us  cannot  be  made 
perfect."'"  That  their  inheritance,  incorruptible 
and  undefiled,  and  that  fadeth  not  away,  is  re- 
served in  Heaven,  ready  to  be  revealed  in  the  last 
time.''^  That  there  are  laid  up  for  them  and  us 
crowns  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the 
righteous  Judge,  shall  give  at  the  day  of  Christ 
to  all  that  love  his  appearing.'^'  That  they  will 
only  be  satisfied  when  they  awake  in  Christ's 
likeness.'^'^  And  that,  when  the  Son  of  man  shall 
come  in  his  glory,  and  all  the  holy  angels  with 
him,  the  King  will  say  to  those  on  his  right  hand, 
"  Come,  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  king- 
dom prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the 


« Matt.  13  :  37-43.  "  ■  Rev.  14  : 7.  "><>  Heb.  11 :  40. 

■n  2  Thess.  2  :  S.  •'^  Acts  3  :  19,  20.  ^n  Vet.  1  -.i,  5. 

■!•'  Rev.  5  :  H,   10  ;  "^  Daa.   12   :  13  ;  =2  2  Tim.  4  :  S. 

21  :  24.  Rev.  (>  :  9- 11  ;  '-■■•  I's.  17  :  15. 

■"■•  Matt .  i'S :  1 9,  20.  Rom.  8  :  22,  23. 


I'LAN   OF   OPERATIONS.  319 

world."''  Then  they  will  be  C([ual  to  the  angels, 
being  the  children  of  God  and  of  the  resurrec- 
tion.'"' 

"  'associated  action. 

" '  We  are  induced,  from  present  circumstances 
affecting  our  spiritual  interests,  to  present,  for 
your  consideration,  a  few  ideas  touching  associ- 
ated action, 

" '  Order  is  Heaven's  first  law.  All  things  em- 
anating from  God  are  constituted  on  principles 
of  perfect  order.  The  New  Testament  rules  for 
the  government  of  the  church  we  regard  as  bind- 
ing on  the  whole  brotherhood  of  Christ.  No  cir- 
cumstances can  justify  us  in  depa,rting  from  the 
usages  established  by  Christ  and  his  apostles, 

" '  We  regard  any  congregation  of  believers, 
who  habitually  assemble  for  the  worship  of  God 
and  the  due  observance  of  gospel  ordinances,  as 
a  church  of  Christ.  As  such,  it  is  an  independ- 
ent body,  accountable  only  to  the  great  Head  of 
the  church.  To  all  such  we  recommend  a  care- 
ful examination  of  the  Scriptures,  and  the  adop- 
tion of  such  principles  of  association  and  order  as 
are  in  accordance  therewith,  that  they  may  en- 
joy the  advantages  of  that  church  relation  which 
Christ  has  instituted. 

"  '  plan  of  operations. 

" '  In  the  midst  of  our  disappointed  hopes  of 
seeing  the  King  of  glory,  and  being  made  like 
him,  and  still  finding  ourselves  in  a  world  of  sin, 

«<  Matt.  25  :  U.  »'  Luke  20  :  3G. 


350  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

snares,  and  death,  the  question  forces  itsell'  upon 
us,  What  noiv  is  our  ivork  ? 

" '  To  us  it  seems  clear  that  our  first  work  is  to 
make  straight  paths  for  our  feet,  lest  that  which 
is  lame  be  turned  out  of  the  way.  We  are  in 
duty  bound  to  give  the  household  meat  in  due 
season,  and  to  build  ourselves  up  in  our  most  ho- 
ly faith.  While  doing  this,  we  are  to  continue 
in  obedience  to  the  great  commission,  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  every  creature  ;  so  long  as  the  love 
of  Christ  dwells  in  us,  it  will  constrain  us.  We 
shall  not  be  released,  while  in  our  present  state, 
from  our  obligations  to  be  "workers,  together 
with  God,"  in  saving  those  for  whom  the  Re- 
deemer died.  It  is  evident  that  the  duty,  which 
of  right  devolves  on  every  minister  of  the  gos- 
pel, of  proclaiming  the  hour  of  God's  judgment, 
is,  if  performed  at  all,  to  be  done  by  those  who 
are  convinced  of  its  truth 

"  The  above,  after  a  full  discussion  and  careful 
examination,  was  unanimously  adopted ;  as  was 
also,  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Miller,  the  following 

"'ADDRESS    TO    THE    BRETHKEX. 

" '  The  present  state  of  our  faith  and  hope,  with 
the  severe  trials  which  many  of  us  experience, 
call  for  much  brotherly  love,  forbearance,  patience, 
and  prayer.  No  cause,  be  it  ever  so  holy,  can 
exist  in  this  present  world,  without  its  attendant 
evils.  Therefore,  it  becomes  necessary  for  all  who 
are  connected  with  this  cause  to  exercise  great 
charity ;  for  charity  covers  a  multitude  of  sins. 

" '  The  cause  we  advocate  calls  upon  all  men  to 
read  the  word  of  God,  and  to  reason,  judge,  com- 
pare, and  digest  for  themselves.     This  is  certain- 


ADDRESS    TO   THE    BRETHREN.  3.11 

ly  right,  and  is  the  privilege  of  all  rational  uieui- 
bei*s  of  the  community.  Yet  this  very  liberty 
may  become  a  stumbling-block  to  many,  and 
without  charity,  be  the  means  of  scattering,  di- 
viding, and  causing  contention  among  brethren. 
Pluman  nature  is  such  that  those  who  are  gov- 
erned by  a  desire  to  rule  over  others  will  seize 
the  reins,  and  think  all  must  l>ow  to  their  decis- 
ion ;  while  others  will  think  such  unlit  for  the 
station  they  assume.  James  foresaw  the  evils 
under  which  we  labor,  and  gives  us  a  caution  in 
his  thiid  chapter,  to  which  we  shall  do  well  to 
take  heed.  Our  present  difficulties  arise  more 
from  the  multiplicity  of  masters  and  leaders 
among  us)  some  of  whom  are  governed  by  carnal 
motives)  than  from  any  want  of  light.  The  word 
of  God  affords  light  enough  to  guide  us  in  all 
cases,  "  that  the  man  of  God  may  be  perfect, 
thoroughly  furnished  unto  every  good  work." 
But  among  the  thousand-and-one  expositions  of 
Scripture,  which  are  every  day  being  palmed  up- 
on us,  some  of  them,  at  least,  must  be  wrong. 
Many  of  them  are  so  weak  and  silly  that  they 
bring  a  stigma  on  the  blessed  book,  confuse  the 
mind  of  the  inquirer  after  truth,  and  divide  the 
children  of  God. 

" '  To  remedy  this  evil,  we  must  learn  to  judge 
men  and  principles  by  their  fruits,  and  not  be 
too  hasty  in  receiving  the  exposition  which  may 
be  presented  by  every  pretender  to  wisdom  and 
sanctity.  Any  exposition  of  Scripture  which 
conflicts  with  other  texts  must  be  spurious.  Any 
man  whose  object  is  to  obtain  followers  must  be 
avoided.  Whatever  produces  envy  and  strife, 
brethren,  is  of  the  devil ;  and  we  must  resist  his 
temptations  in  their  beginning.     If  God  has  been 


352  LIFE    OF    MILLEl], 

with  US  IVom  the  comincuccinciit  of  our  illuiniua= 
tion  respecting  the  hope  of  his  glorious  appear- 
ing, shall  we  abandon  the  truth  wherein  our 
souls  have  been  comforted,  and  our  brotherly  love 
established,  for  fables  ?  We  ought  to  be  careful 
lest  we  grieve  tlie  Holy  Spirit.  How  did  we  re- 
ceive this  doctrine  at  first  ?  Was  it  not  by 
searching  the  word  of  God,  and  a  careful  com- 
parison of  scripture  with  scripture  ?  Yes ;  our 
faith  did  not  rest  on  the  word  of  man.  We  then 
required  chapter  and  verse,  or  we  would  not  be- 
lieve. Why  should  we  leave  our  former  rule  of 
faith,  to  follow  the  vain  and  changing  opinions 
of  men  ?  Some  are  neglecting  the  lamp,  and 
seeking  to  walk  by  sparks  of  their  own  kindling. 
There  is  a  propensity  in  many  to  make  all  proph- 
ecy apply  to  our  time  and  country.  Others  have 
split  on  this  rock.  Some  of  the  best  writers  and 
commentators  have  thus  eired.  They  have,  in 
many  instances,  considered  themselves,  their  sect, 
or  their  nation,  as  the  peculiar  favorites  of  Heav- 
en; and  have  therefore  often  failed  to  apply 
prophecy  aright.  An  Englishman,  writing  on 
prophecy,  will  make  the  English  territory  the 
principal  place  of  action — the  Frenchman,  France 
— the  German,  Germany — and  an  American,  the 
United  States.  So  is  it  with  all  sectarians. 
When  minds  are  contracted  by  selfishness  and 
bigotry,  they  lose  sight  of  the  glory  of  God,  and 
his  word,  and  seek  only  their  own  glory.  On 
the  other  hand,  they  neglect,  if  they  do  not  actu- 
ally reject,  sucli  parts  of  the  oracles  of  God  as 
militate  against  their  views,  and  rush  headlong 
into  error.  If  we  are  thus  liable  to  be  deceived 
by  the  cunning  craftiness  of  men,  we  ought  to  be 
cautious  how  we  are  led  by  every  fanciful  inter- 


ADDRESS   TO    THE    BRETHREN.  oOo 

prctatioii  ol"  Scri]»tuio.  Let  nn  then  be  luuic 
wary,  and,  like  the  noble  Bereans,  search  the 
Scriptures  daily,  to  see  whether  these  things  are 
so.  Then,  if  we  err,  we  shall  have  the  consola- 
tion that  we  have  made  a  careful  examination  of 
the  subject,  and  that  the  error  was  one  of  the 
head,  and  not  of  the  heart.  Christians  should 
receive  no  evidence  but  the  testimony  of  God  as 
a  ground  of  faith. 

"  '  We  are  commanded  to  be  sober,  and  hope  to 
the  end  for  that  grace  which  is  to  be  brought 
unto  us  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus  Christ.  Our 
disappointment,  as  to  the  time,  should  have  no 
effect  on  our  hope.  We  know  that  Christ  has 
not  yet  been  revealed,  and  the  object  of  our  hope 
is  yet  in  the  future.  Therefore,  if  we  believe  in 
God's  word,  as  we  profess,  we  ought  to  be  thank- 
ful for  the  trial  of  our  faith. 

"  '  We  shall  not  have  to  wait  long  for  the  glo- 
rious appearing  of  Christ.  Therefore,  let  us  lift 
up  our  heads  and  rejoice,  knowing  that  our  re- 
demption draweth  nigh.  We  regret  to  see  any 
impatience  manifested  among  the  friends  of  Je- 
sus. God  is  now  trying  our  graces.  How  sol- 
emn the  thought  that  any  should  lose  the  crown 
when  near  the  goal !  Let  us  arise,  shake  off  our 
dullness,  redoul>le  our  diligence,  let  all  the  world 
know  there  is  such  a  grace  as  Christian  persever- 
ance, and  let  all  see  that  we  are  truly  seeking  a 
better  country.  Can  it  be  possible,  after  we  have 
run  well  for  a  season,  loved  the  appearing  of  Je- 
sus, come  to  a  time  when  we  must  expect  him, 
and  should  be  ready  to  cast  ourselves  into  his 
arms,  that  we  shall  go  back,  or  again  stiike  hands 
with  a   thoughtless  world  ?      May  God  forbid  I 

Miller.  23 


354:  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

Let  us  then  go  forward.     It  is  death  to  go  back  ; 
to  go  forward  can  be  no  more. 

"  *  We  are  pained  to  see  a  disposition  to  mur- 
mur against  those  who  have  been  pioneers  in  the 
war — who  have  sacrificed  all  earthly  considera- 
tions to  support  a  truth  so  unpopular  as  the  sec- 
ond advent  and  personal  reign  of  Jesus  Christ. 

" '  Brethren,  shun  such  as  cause  divisions 
among  very  friends.  Remember  the  admonition 
of  James :  "  Grudge  not  one  against  another, 
brethren,  lest  ye  be  condemned;  behold,  the 
Judge  standeth  at  the  door,"  We  see,  by  this 
rule,  that  when  a  brother  loses  his  fellowship  for 
the  saints,  he  is  certainly  in  darkness.  We  must 
be  careful  not  to  follow  what  he  may  term  "light." 
Love  for  brethren  is  a  test  of  our  interest  in 
Christ,  without  which  all  gifts  and  works  are 
like  sounding  brass,  and  a  tinkling  cymbal.  Let 
us  cultivate,  with  peculiar  care,  this  loveliest  of 
all  Christian  graces,  and  frown  on  the  man  who 
attempts  to  cause  division.  "  Offenses  must 
needs  come,  but  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the 
offense  cometh  ! "  What  can  we  say  more,  to 
stir  up  your  pure  minds  by  way  of  remembrance? 

"  'We  would,  therefore,  recommend  more  study 
of  the  (Scriptures,  and  less  writing,  and  that  we 
be  careful  not  to  submit  to  public  inspection 
mere  speculations  until  they  are  closely  scrutin- 
ized by  some  judicious  friend.  Thus  we  shall 
avoid  many  errors.  We  should  alwaj^s  be  more 
jealous  of  ourselves  than  of  others.  Self-love  is 
the  strongest,  most  dangerous,  and  deceitful  foe 
that  we  meet  in  our  Christian  warfare.  We 
have  arrived  at  a  period  of  deep  interest  and 
peril.  It  is  interesting,  because  the  evidence  of 
the  Saviour  being  at  the  door  is  plain,  so  that  no 


ADDRESS   TO   THE    BRETHREN.  355 

sincere  student  of  pro])liecy  can  be  at  a  loss  to 
know  that  that  day,  for  which  all  other  days 
were  made,  is  near.  How  interesting  to  live  in 
expectation  of  the  day  which  patriarchs,  proph- 
ets, and  apostles,  desired  to  see,  but  died  without 
the  sight !  Persecution  and  death  lose  their 
sting,  in  prospect  of  the  coming  Conqueror,  who 
hath  all  power,  and  who  hath  engaged  to  put  all 
enemies  under  his  feet.  We  need  not  murmur ; 
for,  in  this  our  day,  God  will  bring  to  pass  this 
act,  this  (to  the  worldly  man)  strange  act,  for 
which  all  the  weary  saints,  for  six  thousand 
years,  have  lived  and  prayed.  We  entreat  you 
to  hold  fast  the  confidence  which  you  have  had 
in  the  word  of  God  unto  the  end.  "  Yet  a  little 
while,  and  he  that  shall  come  will  come,  and  will 
not  tarry."  "  Here  is  the  patience  and  the  faith 
of  the  saints."  "  Be  ye  also  patient ;  stablish 
your  hearts,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh." 

" '  Wm.  Miller,  Chairman  of  Committee.' 

"  The  doings  of  that  Conference  were  unani- 
mously ratified  by  the  annual  Conferences  subse- 
quently held,  in  that  year  in  New  York  and  in 
Boston ;  and  the  '  important  truths  '  there  incul- 
cated were  often  unanimously  re-affirmed,  so  that 
they  have  become  the  settled  principles  of  those 
known  as  Adventists.  Others,  dissenting  from 
them,  but  agreeing  in  unimportant  particulars, 
and  yet  claiming  to  be  Adventists,  are  not  rec- 
ognized as  such  by  Adventists.* 

*  The  great  sin  of  this  time  evidently  was  the  disposition  of  the 
leading  men  in  the  cause  to  draw  back  from  the  clear  position, 
powerful  work,  and  deep  experience,  of  the  time  movement. 
They  were  disappointed  and  greatly  embarrasi^ed.     And,  instead 


356  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

"  Mr.  JNliUci  was  in  Boston,  wlioie  he  anived 
on  Saturday,  May  ^4,  to  attend  tlic  annual  Con- 
ference there  of  the  week  following.  That  com- 
menced on  Monday,  May  20,  when  Mr.  M.  dis- 

of  patiently  wailing  for  God  to  open  to  their  minds  the  great 
sanctuary  question  in  his  own  good  time,  they  impatiently  and 
rashly  cast  away  their  conlidence  in  the  work  of  God,  and  aban- 
doned themselves  to  the  fearful  work  described  in  the  following 
prophetic  exhortation  of  I'aul  :  "Cast  not  away  therefore  your 
confidence,  which  hath  great  recompense  of  reward.  For  ye 
have  need  of  patience,  that,  aflcr  ye  have  done  the  will  of  God, 
ye  might  receive  the  promise.  For  yet  a  little  while,  and  he  tliat 
shall  come  will  come,  and  will  not  tarry.  Now  the  just  shall  live 
by  faith;  but  if  any  man  draw  back,  my  soul  shall  have  no  pleas- 
ure in  him.  ]5ut  we  are  not  of  them  who  draw  back  unto  perdi- 
tion ;  but  of  them  that  believe  (o  the  saving  of  the  soul."  llcb. 
10  :  35-8(». 

The  application  of  this  exhoriation  is  so  very  natural  and  for- 
cible that  it  will  hardly  be  called  in  (question.  It  was  a  fearful 
time.  Satan  was  in  a  most  powerful  manner  attaching  the  fan- 
cies and  extravagances  of  fanaticism  to  the  only  true  and  correct 
))osition.  This  made  the  gulf  between  the  two  parties  still  wider. 
Both  in  their  extreme  positions  hurt  each  other.  The  course  of 
those  who  were  drawing  back  filled  the  other  with  terror,  while 
their  extremes  in  turn  confirmed  tlio  more  prudent  that  to  draw 
back  was  the  only  safe  position. 

In  such  a  position,  with  God's  frown  upon  them,  he  could  not 
bless  their  associated  etforts  at  the  Albany  Conference  to  rise 
above  existing  elements  of  confusion,  and  shake  ofi'  the  reproach 
that  was  being  brought  upon  the  second  advent  cause.  Associ- 
ated action,  upon  proper  ground,  has  been  right  in  all  periods  of 
the  Christian  church ;  but  that  work  at  the  Albany  Conference 
proved  itself  not  of  God,  in  that  it  has,  in  the  main,  come  to 
nought.  The  present  condition  of  the  surviving  leaders  in  that 
compact  to  facilitate  a  grand  march  into  Egypt,  and  who  drew 
Mr.  Miller  in  a  degree  into  their  confederacy,  is  indeed  deplora- 
ble. But  that  faithful  man  of  God,  with  the  weight  of  years,  and 
the  feebleness  of  the  terrible  strain  of  labors  upon  him,  could  not 
be  induced  to  deny  the  hand  of  God  in  the  advent  movement,  to 
which  he  had  confidingly  devoted  all.  J.  w. 


HIS    CONVERSION.  357 

coursed  from  Rev.  6  :  17:  'For  the  great  day  of 
his  wrath  is  come ;  and  who  shall  be  able  to 
stand  V  He  made  a  personal  and  practical  ap- 
plication of  this  event,  and  presented  the  evi- 
dence of  its  probable  nearness. 

"  During  the  Conference,  he  spoke  feelingly  of 
the  passing  of  the  time.  He  remarked  that, 
'  Ere  this,  he  had  been  in  hopes  of  meeting  all 
present  in  the  heavenly  kingdom.  But,  if  we 
love  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  however  much  we 
may  be  disappointed,  we  shall  not  forget  Christ's 
coming.  God  may  see  fit  to  disappoint  us,  some- 
times, for  our  good.  We  may  not  see  the  wis- 
dom and  fullness  of  the  whole  of  God's  plan ;  Ijut 
he  never  tries  us  but  for  our  profit,  Tiiereforc, 
we  should  not  be  disheartened  or  cast  down.' 
Every  disappointment  only  made  him  more 
strong  in  the  belief  of  the  certainty  of  the  near- 
ness of  Christ's  appearing. 

" '  I  had,'  he  said,  '  denied  the  Bible  for  twelve 
years.  I  used  to  read  it  to  see  how  curiously 
men  would  act,  and  contradict  each  other.  But 
suddenly  I  became  more  solemn ;  its  truth  began 
to  dawn  upon  my  mind  ;  and  I  was  in  great 
darkness  for  six  months.  I  saw  that  I  was  a 
poor  sinner ;  but  I  was  soon  enabled  to  love  Je- 
sus Christ,  and  have  continued  to  love  him  even 
till  the  present  time.  I  saw  that,  if  the  Bible 
was  true,  Christ  was  the  only  Saviour  of  men. 
I  then  began  to  study  the  Scriptures  more  fully 
— determined  to  study,  text  by  text,  till  I  was 
fully  satisfied  as  to  their  import.  In  comparing 
scripture  with  scripture,  such  a  light  broke  in 
upon  my  mind  as  I  had  never  before  seen.  I 
was  about  two  years  in  going  through  with  the 
Bible  in  this  manner;  and  T  found  it  a  perfect 


358  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

piece  of  order  and  beauty.  And,  though  1  have 
been  greatly  disappointed,  yet  I  have  never 
ceased  to  love  and  regard  the  authority  of  the 
Scriptures. 

"'Brethren,  we  must  kecj)  humble.  I  some- 
times tremble  when  I  see  individuals  endeavor- 
ing to  exalt  themselves,  and  denounce  others  who 
do  not  see  just  as  they  do.  Be  careful  not  to  err 
in  favor  of  self.  Be  careful  to  avoid  self-right- 
eousness. I  have  noticed  that  those  who  have 
left  the  second  advent  cause  are  the  very  ones 
for  whom  I  used  to  tremble,  in  view  of  their  ar- 
rogancy  and  self-righteousness.  We  must  not 
look  to  ourselves,  but  must  look  alone  to  God. 
We  must  cling  to  our  Heavenly  Father's  arm, 
that  we  may  hold  fast  our  confidence  even  unto 
the  end.  The  word  of  God  teaches  us  that  we 
are  to  be  guided  alone  by  him.  Had  our  breth- 
ren who  have  apostatized  thus  looked  to  him, 
they  would  never  have  fallen  into  the  awful  er- 
rors into  which  they  have  been  led.  I  love  those 
brethren,  but  I  tremble  for  their  errors.  Oh  !  let 
us  depend  wholly  on  God,  that  we  may  be  pre- 
served also  from  departing  from  the  rectitude  of 
our  faith !  And  may  we  all  be  enabled  to  live 
out  the  prayer,  "  Not  my  will,  0  God,  but  thine 
be  done." ' 


UlS    DEFENSE.  359 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

HIS  APOLOGY  AND  DEFENSE — DEFINITENESS  OF  PKOPHETIO 
TIME — ERRONEOUS  VIEWS  CONNECTED  WITH  THE  DOC- 
TRINE,   ETC. 

"  After  the  Boston  Conference,  Mr.  Miller  ac- 
companied Mr.  Himes  to  Portland,  Me.,  where  he 
gave  discourses  in  the  afternoon  and  evening  of 
Sunday,  June  1,  to  crowded  audiences.  Many  of 
those  present,  doubtless,  were  drawn  to  hear  him 
by  motives  of  curiosity,  Ijecause  of  the  disappoint- 
ment in  time.  The  necessity  of  patience  and  of 
watchfulness  were  subjects  on  which  he  dis- 
coursed. 

"  He  returned  to  Boston,  and  from  thence  went 
to  a  camp-meeting  at  Champlain,  N.  Y.,  on  the 
10th  of  June.  After  this,  he  returned  home,  in 
the  enjoyment  of  good  general  health,  but  some- 
what afflicted  by  boils. 

"  As  the  author  of  a  movement  which  had  re- 
sulted in  disappointment,  and,  in  some  respects, 
disaster,  Mr,  Miller  deemed  it  proper  that  he 
should  make  a  personal  statement  to  the  Chris- 
tian public,  show  the  motives  that  had  actua- 
ted him,  and  disavow  any  sympathy  with  the 
extremes  into  which  some  had  gone,  contrary  to 
his  earnest  remonstrances.  His  growing  infirmi- 
ties made  him  shrink  from  the  labor  of  writing, 
and  caused  him  to  desire  an  amanuensis.  For 
this  purpose,  the  writer  of  this  visited  him  in  the 
month  of  July,  1845,  and  Mr.  Miller  dictated  his 
'  Apology  and  Defense,'  a  tract  of  thirty-six  pages, 
which  was  published  by  Mr.  Himes,  in  Boston. 
It  was  addressed  '  To  all  who  love  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ  in  sincerity,'  and  commenced  with  :    - 


360  LIFE   01'    MiLLEK. 

"  'As  all  men  are  responsible  to  the  community 
for  the  sentiments  they  may  promulgate,  the 
public  have  a  right  to  expect  from  me  a  candid 
statement  in  reference  to  my  disappointment  in 
not  realizing  the  advent  of  Christ  in  A.  D.  1843-4, 
which  I  had  confidently  believed.  I  have,  there- 
fore, considered  it  not  presumptuous  in  me  to  lay 
before  the  Christian  public  a  retrospective  view 
of  the  whole  question,  the  motives  that  actuated 
me,  and  the  reasons  by  which  I  was  guided.' 

"  He  then  proceeded  to  narrate  his  early  histor}^, 
and  gave  an  account  of  his  'deistical  opinions,' 
his  '  lirst  religious  impressions,'  his  '  connection 
with  the  army,'  his  '  removal  to  Low  Hampton,' 
his  *  determination  to  understand  the  Scriptures,' 
his  '  manner  of  studying  the  Bible,'  the  '  results 
arrived  at,'  and  his  subse(|uent  labors ;  all  of 
which  have  been  noticed  at  greater  length  in  the 
foregoing  pages.  He  then  summed  up  his  labors 
as  follows : — 

" '  From  the  commencement  of  that  publication, 
I  was  overwhelmed  with  invitations  to  labor  in 
various  places,  with  which  I  complied  as  far  as 
my  health  and  time  would  allow.  I  labored  ex- 
tensively in  all  the  New  England  and  Middle 
States,  in  Ohio,  IMichigan,  Maryland,  the  District 
of  Columbia,  and  in  Canada  East  and  West,  giv- 
ing about  four  thousand  lectures  in  something 
like  five  hundred  different  towns. 

" '  I  should  think  that  about  two  hundred  min- 
isters embraced  my  views,  in  all  the  different 
parts  of  the  United  States  and  Canada ;  and  that 
there  have  been  about  five  hundred  public  lectur- 
ers. In  all  the  sections  of  country  where  I  la- 
bored,— not  only  in  the  towns  1  visited,  but  in 
those  in  their  vicinity, — there  were  more  or  less 


HIS    UEFENyE.  361 

that  embraced  the  doctrine  of  the  advent.  In 
some  places  only  a  very  few,  and  in  other  places 
there  have  been  a  large  number, 

" '  In  nearly  a  thousand  places.  Advent  congi-e- 
gations  have  been  raised  up,  numbering,  as  nearly 
as  I  can  estimate,  some  lifty  thousand  believers. 
On  recalling  to  mind  the  several  places  of  my  la- 
bors, I  can  reckon  up  about  six  thousand  instan- 
ces of  conversion  from  nature's  darkness  to  God's 
marvelous  light,  the  result  of  my  personal  labors 
alone ;  and  I  should  judge  the  number  to  be  much 
greater.  Of  this  number  I  can  recall  to  mind 
about  seven  hundred,  who  were,  previously  to 
their  attending  my  lectures,  infidels ;  and  their 
number  may  have  been  twice  as  great.  Happy 
results  have  also  followed  from  the  labors  of  my 
brethren,  many  of  whom  I  would  like  to  mention 
here,  if  my  limits  would  permit. 

" '  In  all  my  labors  I  never  had  the  desire  or 
thought  to  establish  any  separate  interest  from 
that  of  existing  denominations,  or  to  benefit  one 
at  the  expense  of  another.  I  thought  to  benefit 
all.  Supposing  that  all  Christians  would  rejoice 
in  the  prospect  of  Christ's  coming,  and  that  those 
who  could  not  see  as  I  did  would  not  love  any 
the  less  those  who  should  embrace  this  doctrine, 
I  did  not  conceive  there  would  ever  be  any  neces- 
sity for  separate  meetings.  My  whole  object  was 
a  desire  to  convert  souls  to  God,  to  notify  the 
world  of  a  coming  judgment,  and  to  induce  my 
fellow-men  to  make  that  preparation  of  heart 
which  will  enable  them  to  meet  their  God  in 
peace.  The  great  majority  of  those  who  were 
converted  under  my  labors  united  with  the  vari- 
ous existing  churches.  When  individuals  came 
to  me  to  in<[uii-c  resjieoting  their  duty,  I  always 


3^2  LIFE    OF    MiLLER. 

told  them  to  go  where  they  would  feel  at  home ; 
and  I  never  favored  any  one  denomination  in  my 
advice  to  such. 

"'But  my  brethren  began  to  complain  that 
they  were  not  fed  by  their  ministers,  and  wanted 
expository  preaching.  I  told  them  it  was  their 
duty  to  interest  their  ministers  in  the  prophecies  ; 
but,  if  they  could  not  receive  the  teachings  under 
which  they  sat,  they  must  act  in  accordance  with 
their  own  sense  of  duty.  They  then  began  to 
complain  that  they  had  not  liberty  in  the 
churches  to  present  their  views  freely,  or  to  ex- 
hort their  brethren  to  prepare  for  the  Judgment. 
Those  in  the  neighborhood  of  advent  preaching 
felt  that,  when  they  could  listen  to  these  glorious 
truths,  it  was  their  privilege  so  to  do.  For  this, 
many  of  them  were  treated  coldly.  Some  came 
out  of  their  churches,  and  some  were  expelled. 
Where  the  blame  lay  it  is  not  necessary  here  to 
inquire ;  there  was,  doubtless,  wrong  on  both 
sides.  The  result  was,  that  a  feeling  of  opposi- 
tion arose,  on  the  part  of  many  of  the  ministers 
and  churches  that  did  not  embrace  these  views, 
against  those  who  were  looking  for  the  blessed 
hope  and  the  glorious  appearing  of  the  gi'cat  God 
and  our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ.' 

"  He  then  spoke  of  various  points  as  follows : — 

"  '  DEFINrrENESS    OF    rilOPHETIC    TIME. 

" '  I  had  never  been  positive  as  to  any  particu- 
lar day  for  the  Lord's  appearing,  believing  that 
no  man  could  know  the  day  and  hour.  In  all 
my  published  lectures  will  be  seen,  on  the  title- 
page,  "about  the  year  1843,"  In  all  my  oral 
lectures  I  invariably  told  my  audiences  that  the 


DEFINiTENES.S    OF    TKOPHETIC    TIME.  363 

periods  would  terminate  in  1843  if  there  were 
no  mistakes  in  my  calculation ;  but  that  I  could 
not  say  the  end  might  not  come  even  before  that 
time,  and  they  should  be  continually  prepared. 
In  1842,  some  of  my  brethren  preached,  with 
great  positiveness,  the  exact  year,  and  censured 
me  for  putting  in  an  if.  The  public  press  had 
also  published  that  I  had  fixed  upon  a  definite 
day,  the  23d  of  April,  for  the  Lord's  advent. 
Therefore,  in  December  of  that  year,  as  I  could 
see  no  error  in  my  reckoning,  I  published  my 
belief  that  some  time  between  March  21,  1843, 
and  March  21,  1844,  the  Lord  would  come. 
Some  had  their  minds  fixed  on  particular  days ; 
but  I  could  see  no  evidence  for  such,  unless  the 
types  of  the  Mosaic  law  pointed  to  the  feast  of 
tabernacles. 

"'During  the  year  1843,  the  most  violent  de- 
nunciations were  heaped  upon  me,  and  those 
associated  with  me,  by  the  press  and  some  pul- 
pits. Our  motives  were  assailed,  our  principles 
misi'epresented,  and  our  characters  traduced. 
Time  passed  on,  and  the  21st  of  March,  1844, 
Avent  by  without  our  witnessing  the  appearing 
of  the  Lord.  Our  disappointment  was  great, 
and  many  walked  no  more  with  us. 

"  '  Previously  to  this,  in  the  fall  of  1843,  some 
of  my  brethren  began  to  call  the  churches  Bab- 
ylon, and  to  urge  that  it  was  the  duty  of  Ad- 
ventists  to  come  out  of  them.  With  this  I  was 
much  grieved,  as  not  only  the  effect  was  very 
bad,  but  I  regarded  it  as  a  perversion  of  the  word 
of  God,  a  wresting  of  Scripture.*     But  the  prac- 

*  With  Mr.  Miller,  there  were  very  many  who  deplored  the 
spirit  in  which  the  Babylon  question  was  handled  by  rash  spirits, 
and  a  very  few,  incliidiii<^  Mr.  Miller,  never  accepted  the  view 


364  LIFE   OF   MILLEK. 

tice  spread  extensively ;  and,  from  that  time,  the 
churches,  as  might  have  been  expected,  were 
closed  against  us.  It  prejudiced  many  against 
us,  and  created  a  deep  feeling  of  hostility  be- 
tween Adventists  and  those  who  did  not  em- 
brace the  doctrine  ;  so  that  most  of  the  Advent- 
ists were  separated  from  their  respective  churches. 
This  was  a  result  which  I  never  desired  nor  ex- 
pected; but  it  was  brought  about  by  unforeseen 
circumstances.  We  could,  then,  only  act  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  position  in  which  we  were 
thus  placed. 

" '  On  the  passing  of  my  published  time,  I 
frankly  acknowledged  my  disapi)ointment  in 
reference  to  the  exact  period ;  but  my  faith  was 
unchanged  in  any  essential  feature.  I  therefore 
continued  my  labors,  principally  at  the  West, 
during  the  summer  of  1844,  until  "the  seventh - 
month  movement,"  as  it  is  called.  I  had  no  par- 
ticipation in  this,  only  as  I  wrote  a  letter,  eight- 
een months  previously,  presenting  the  observ- 
ances under  the  Mosaic  law  which  pointed  to 
that  month  as  a  probable  time  when  the  advent 
might  be  expected.  This  was  written  because 
some  were  looking  to  definite  days  in  the  spiking. 
I  had,  however,  no  expectation  that  so  unwar- 
ranted a  use  would  be  made  of  those  types  that 
any  should  regard  a  belief  in  such  mere  inferen- 
tial evidence  a  test  of  salvation.  I  therefore  had 
no  fellowship  with  that  movement  until  about 
two  or  three  weeks  previous  to  the  22d  of  Octo- 

that  the  term  applied  fo  all  corrupted  Christianity,  Protestant  as 
well  as  Papal.  But  we  do  not  regard  the  error  of  these  a  titlie 
as  injurious  to  the  cause  of  truth  and  religion  as  the  conduct  of 
selfish  and  r.ash  ones  who  held  the  truth  in  unrighteousness. 

.1.  w. 


REPROOF    OF    ERRORS,  365 

lier,  when,  ficeiu'j  it  Iiad  uMainc*!  ouoli  picvu- 
lencc,  and  considering  il  was  at  a  probaljle  jioinfc 
of  time,  I  was  persuaded  that'  it  was  a  work  of 
God,  and  felt  that,  if  it  should  pass  l)y,  I  should 
be  more  disappointed  than  T  was  in  my  first 
published  time. 

"'But  that  time  ]>assed,  and  1  was  again  dis- 
appointed. The  movement  was  of  sucli  a  char- 
acter that,  i'or  a  time,  it  was  very  mysterious  to 
me ;  and  the  rt-sults  following  it  were  so  unac- 
countable that  I  supposed  our  work  might  be 
completed,  an<l  that  a  few  weeks  only  might 
elapse  between  tliat  time  and  the  appearing  of 
Clirist.  However  that  might  bo,  I  I'egarded  my 
own  work  completed,  and  tliat  what  was  to  be 
done  for  the  extension  of  these  views  must  be 
done  by  younger  bretln-en,  except  an  occasional 
discourse  from  myself. 

'"As  time  has  progressed,  I  hav(!  Iteen  pained 
too  see  many  errors  wliich  iiave  been  embraced, 
in  different  sections  of  the  country,  by  some  who 
have  labored  in  connection  with  myself;  errors 
which  I  cannot  countenance,  and  of  which  I  wish 
to  speak  freely,  although  I  may  lose  the  fellow- 
ship of  some  for  faithfully  doing  my  duty. 

" '  I  have  been  pained  to  see  a  spirit  of  sectari- 
anism and  bigotry,  in  some  sections,  which  dis- 
fellowships  everything  that  does  not  square  with 
the  narrow  prejudices  of  individual  minds.  There 
is  a  tendency  to  exalt  individual  opinions  as  a 
standard  for  all  to  submit  to  ;  a  disposition  to 
place  the  results  of  individual  investigation  upon 
a  level  with  solemn  conclusions  to  which  the 
great  body  of  brethren  have  arrived.  This  is 
very  wrong ;  for,  while  we  are  in  this  world,  we 
are  so  short-sighted  that  we  should  never  regard 


366  LIFE    OF   MILLER. 

our  conclusions  as  infallible;  should  bear  with 
the  imperfections  of  others,  and  receive  those  that 
are  weak  in  the  faith,  but  not  to  doubtful  dispu- 
tations. 

"  '  Some  have  an  inclination  to  indulge  in  harsh 
and  denunciatory"  remarks  against  all  who  do 
not  agree  with  them.  We  are  all  liable  to  err  ; 
but  we  should  avoid  thus  giving  occasion  of  of- 
fense. We  should  instruct  with  meekness  those 
who  oppose  themselves,  and  avoid  foolish  and 
unlearned  questions,  that  gender  strifes. 

" '  There  may  be  causes  operating  on  the  minds 
of  others,  of  which  we  know  nothing,  that  influ- 
ence them  contrary  to  the  truth  as  we  have  re- 
ceived it.  We  should,  therefore,  in  all  our  inter- 
course with  those  we  deem  in  error,  treat  them 
with  kindness  and  affection,  and  show  them  that 
we  would  do  them  good,  and  not  evil,  if  God, 
peradventure,  will  give  them  repentance  to  the 
acknowledging  of  the  truth,  and  that  they  may 
recover  themselves  out  of  the  snare  of  the  devil, 
who  are  taken  captive  by  him  at  his  will. 

"  '  Some  are  prone  to  indulge  in  a  spirit  of  un- 
easiness and  disorder,  and  looseness  with  regard 
to  church  government  and  doctrine.  In  all  the 
essential  doctrines  of  the  Bible,  as  they  have  been 
held  by  the  pious  of  the  church  in  all  ages,  were 
given  to  the  saints,  and  for  which  we  are  com- 
manded earnestly  to  contend,  I  have  never  seen 
any  reason  to  change  my  faith.  Jesus  1  regard 
as  my  all-sufhcient  Saviour,  by  whose  merits 
alone  I  can  be  saved.  No  being  but  him, "  whose 
goings  forth  were  of  old  from  everlasting,"  who 
should  take  upon  himself  our  nature,  and  bear 
our  sins  in  his  own  body,  could  make  an  atone- 
ment, on  the  efficacy  of  which  I  should  dar^  to 


REPROOF    OF    ERRORS,  ;'>67 

rely.  The  Bible  speaks  as  plainly  of  my  Sav- 
iour's divinity  as  it  does  of  his  humanity.  He 
is,  therefore,  Immanuel,  God  with  us.  The  Bible 
tells  us  plainly  what  the  Saviour  is.  That  should 
satisfy  us,  without  venturing  bej'ond  the  Bible 
to  say  what  he  is  not. 

" '  It  is  in  the  use  of  terms  not  found  in  the 
Scriptures  that  disputations  arise.  For  instance, 
the  difference  between  the  Calvinist  and  Arme- 
nian I  often  thus  explain  :  Both  are  in  the  same 
dilemma.  They  are  like  a  company  of  men  in  the 
lower  story  of  a  house  when  the  tide  is  entering, 
and  from  which  there  is  no  escape  only  by  a  rope 
by  which  they  may  be  drawn  up.  All  endeavor 
to  lay  hold  of  the  rope.  The  one  is  continually 
afraid  he  has  not  hold  of  the  right  rope ;  if  he 
was  sure  he  had  the  right  rope  he  would  have  no 
fears.  The  other  has  no  fear  but  he  has  hold  of 
the  right  rope  ;  he  is  continually  afraid  his  rope 
will  break.  Now  both  are  equally  fearful  they 
may  perchance  not  escape.  Their  fears  arise 
from  different  causes.  How  foolish  it  is,  then, 
for  them  to  begin  to  quarrel  with  each  other,  be- 
cause the  one  supposes  the  rope  may  break,  and 
the  other  that  it  is  the  wrong  rope  ! 

" '  Now  I  have  found  Christians  among  those 
who  believed  that  they  were  born  again,  but 
might  fall  away ;  and  among  those  that  believe 
that,  if  they  were  ever  bom  again,  they  should 
certainly  persevere.  The  difference  between 
them  I  regard  as  a  mere  matter  of  education ; 
both  have  their  fears,  and  both  believe  that  those 
only  who  persevere  unto  the  end  will  be  saved. 
I,  therefore,  look  on  men  as  bigots  who  quarrel 
with  others  and  deny  that  those  are  Christians 
who  cannot  see  just  as  they  do 


3G8  1>1FE    OF    MILLER. 

"'  I  have  thus  given  it  plain  and  .simple  ijtate- 
nient  of  the  manner  of  my  arriving  at  the  views 
I  have  inculcated,  vvitli  a  history  of  my  course 
up  to  the  present  time.  That  I  have  been  mis- 
taken in  the  time,  I  freely  confess;  and  I  have 
no  desire  to  defend  my  course  any  further  than  I 
have  been  actuated  by  pure  motives,  and  it  has 
resulted  to  God's  glory.  My  mistakes  and  errors 
God,  I  trust,  vt^ill  forfjive.  I  cannot,  however,  re- 
proacli  myself  for  having  preached  definite  time  ; 
for,  as  I  believe  that  whatsoever  was  written 
aforetime  was  written  for  our  learning,  the  pro- 
phetic periods  are  as  much  a  subject  of  investiga- 
tion as  any  other  portion  of  the  word.* 


*The  reader  may  now  uuder.stand  the  real  position  of  the  man 
whom  God  had  led  in  the  gieat  movement  which  occurred  in  ful- 
fillment of  the  first  message  of  Rev.  14.  We  believe  that  the 
third  message,  now  being  proclaimed,  and  the  preparatory  work 
for  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  now  in  progress  with  those 
who  embrace  it,  is  by  the  direct  providence  of  God,  in  fulfillment 
of  certain  portions  of  his  word.  And  this  position  makes  the_ 
conclusions  that  the  first  and  second  messages  of  the  same  series 
were  given  under  the  same  providence,  and  that  God  raised  up 
William  Miller  to  bring  out  the  great  truths  of  the  first  message, 
appear  very  reasonable.  Hence  we  are  the  more  willing  to  let 
him  speak  for  himself,  that  the  candid  reader  may  correctly  view 
this  representative  and  ])rovidential  servant  of  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  name  is  associated  in  the  public  mind  with  Adventism  ev- 
erywhere. 

]}ut  few  puljlic  men  "grow  old  gracefully."  Mr.  Miller  en- 
tered upon  his  public  labors  as  a  lecturer  upon  the  prophecies  in 
the  strength  of  manhood,  after  acquiring  habits  of  self-reliance, 
firmness,  and  undaunted  courage,  as  an  army  and  civil  officer. 
And  this  stamp  of  character,  sanctified  by  the  grace  of  God,  con- 
stituted one  of  the  important  qualifications  necessary  to  meet  the 
difl'erent  forms  of  determined  opposition  and  persecution  which 
he  met.  And  then,  after  nerving  himself  to  the  battle  for  thir- 
teen years,  forming  the  strongest  combative  habits  at  that  period 


FAITH    IN    ADVENT    EXPKinENCE.  .'iGO 

" '  I,  therefore,  still  feel  that  it  was  my  duty  to 
present  all  the  evidence  that  was  apparent  to  my 

of  his  life  when  he  was  about  sixty  years  of  age,  when  strong  men's 
habits  generally  become  very  strongly  established,  to  see  him 
calmly  and  gently  laying  olF  the  armor,  and  under  his  bitter  dis- 
appointment, to  witness  his  resignation  to  the  will  of  God,  and 
his  aflectionate  appeals  and  warnings  to  his  younger  brethren  to 
be  holy  men  of  God,  ready  for  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man,  car- 
ries the  strongest  conviction  to  candid  minds  that  God  had  raised 
him  up  to  do  the  very  work  which  he  did  do.  As  he  thus  laid 
his  armor  off,  he  said  to  his  brethren  that  his  work  was  done.  In 
this  we  can  see  the  hand  of  God.  He  had  spent  the  strength  of 
his  ripe  manhood  in  giving  the  first  message.  Ilis  burden  fell  ofl', 
which  he  interpreted,  for  a  short  time,  to  mean  that  the  work  of 
warning  sinners  was  done.  But  the  great  work  of  the  third  mes- 
sage was  then  in  the  future,  and  had  God  designed  to  use  him  in 
giving  it,  he  would  have  given  him  a  new  lease  of  life,  and 
opened  the  subject  to  his  mind.  But  he  did  not  see  this  work 
nor  feel  its  importance  ;  and  why  should  he  ?  He  had  done  his 
work  faithfully  and  well,  and  was  soon  to  sleep  in  Jesus. 

It  is  proper  here  to  state  that  Mr.  Miller  did  not  view  the 
second  message  as  we  do.  Neither  did  he  change  his  views  upon 
the  immortality  and  Sabbath  questions.  Having  finished  his 
mission  in  giving  the  first  message,  and  having  reached  the  point 
in  respect  to  age  and  debility,  from  his  extremely  arduous  la- 
bors as  a  lecturer  for  thirteen  years,  with  no  periods  of  cessatior, 
only  when  compelled  by  sickness,  the  candid  reader  can  see  the 
love  and  wisdom  of  God  in  not  impressing  his  mind  with  those 
subjects  which  he  could  not  investigate  and  vindicate  before  the 
people. 

Having  done,  and  well  done,  the  great  work  given  him  to  do, 
the  probation  of  public  labor  with  him  successfully  past  accord- 
ing to  the  will  of  God,  he  could  say  in  the  language  of  Paul,  "  I 
have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept 
the  faith  ;  henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  right- 
eousness, which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall  give  me  at 
that  day  ;  and  not  to  me  only,  but  unto  all  them  also  that  love  his 
appearing."     2  Tim.  4  :  7,  8. 

It  ia  just  what  might  be  expected,  that  those  who  undergtand- 
ingly  embrace  tlie  priociples  of  the  third  message,  would  first  in- 


070  LIFE    OF    MILLEK. 

mind ;  and  were  I  iioav  in  the  same  circum- 
stances, I  should  be  compelled  to  act  as  I  have 

quire  relative  to  the  second  and  first  messages,  and  would  feel 
the  deepest  interest  in  the  man  whom  God  raised  up  to  lead  oflF 
in  the  opening  work  of  giving  the  great  threefold  warning  to  the 
world. 

Those  who  have  been  continually  publishing  a  new  ti'xe  upon 
the  heels  of  a  failure,  have  been,  not  only  disgusting  the  public, 
but,  at  each  cflbrt,  have  been  virtually  condemning  the  position 
of  Mr.  Miller  on  the  time  question,  and  losing  regard  for  his  val- 
uable labors.  These  can  have  but  little,  if  any,  interest  in  his 
life  and  views. 

And  on  the  other  hand,  those  who  stood  with  him  on  the  time 
question  in  1844,  and  have  confessed  to  the  world  that  they  were 
in  error,  and  have  given  up  their  past  second-advent  experience, 
virtually  condemn  his  position  and  work,  and  can  take,  compar- 
atively, but  little  interest  in  the  history  of  his  life,  views,  and  la- 
bors. Both  of  these  classes  have  departed  from  the  position  of 
Jlr.  Miller,  and  have  denied,  or,  at  least,  hold  very  lightly  their 
past  second-advent  experience,  and  have  left  the  field  to  Seventh- 
day  Adventists,  who  stand  upon  the  "original  advent  faith." 
And  while  occupying  the  position  we  do  relative  to  the  past 
movement,  the  public  have  reason  to  expect  that,  while  we  hold 
that  Mr.  Miller  moved  in  the  providence  of  God  in  his  work,  we 
should  publish  the  facts  as  they  existed  in  his  life,  views,  and  la- 
bors, in  explanation  and  defense,  so  far  as  such  facts  constitute  a 
defense,  of  our  position. 

We  still  love  the  advent  name,  and  hold  it  very  dear.  And 
while  we  hold  the  name,  consistency  would  lead  us  to  cherish  and 
also  hold  dear  the  very  means  that  made  us  Adventists.  To  still 
hold  the  advent  name,  and  turn  round  and  curse,  or  deny,  or 
oven  hold  lightly,  the  means  God  employed  to  make  us  what  we 
are,  seems  the  very  climax  of  inconsistency.  When  Seventh- 
day  Adventists  can  no  longer  honor  the  great  second-advent 
movement,  but  feel  called  upon  to  confess  to  the  world  that  the 
pioneers  of  the  cause  were  mistaken  on  the  very  calculation  that 
shook  the  world,  and  which  resulted  in  making  Adventists  a 
separate  people,  then  they  will  drop  "Adventists"  from  tlieir 
denominational  name,  and  pass  for  simply  Sabbatarian  Christians. 


t'AlTU    IN    ADVENT    KXI'EIUENCE.  371 

done.  I  should  not,  however,  have  so  done,  had 
I  seen  that  the  time  would  pass  by;  but  not 
knowing  that  it  would,  I  feel  even  now  more  sat- 
isfaction in  having  warned  my  fellow-men  than 
I  should  feel,  were  I  conscious  that  I  had  believed 
them  in  danger  and  had  not  raised  my  voice. 
How  keen  would  have  been  my  regret,  had  I  re- 
frained to  present  what  in  my  soul  I  believed  to 
be  truth,  and  the  result  had  proved  that  souls 
must  perish  through  my  neglect !  I  cannot, 
therefore,  censure  myself  for  having  conscien- 
tiously performed  what  I  believed  to  be  my  duty. 
"  '  But  while  I  frankly  acknowledge  my  disap- 
pointment in  the  exact  time,  I  wish  to  inquire 
whether  my  teachings  have  been  thereby  mate- 
rially aftected.  My  view  of  exact  time  depended 
entirely  upon  the  accuracy  of  chronology  ;  of  this 
1  had  no  absolute  demonstration ;  but  as  no  evi- 
dence was  presented  to  invalidate  it,  I  deemed  it 
my  duty  to  rely  on  it  as  certain,  until  it  should 
be  disproved.  Besides,  I  not  only  rested  on  re- 
ceived chronology,  but  I  selected  the  earliest 
dates  in  the  circle  of  a  few  years  on  which  chro- 
nologcrs  have  relied  for  the  date  of  the  events 
from  which  to  reckon,  because  I  believed  them 
to  be  best  sustained,  and  because  I  wished  to 
have  my  eye  on  the  earliest  time  at  which  the 
Lord  might  be  expected.  Other  chronologers 
had  assigned  later  dates  for  the  events  from  which 
I  reckoned ;  and  if  they  ai'e  correct  we  are  only 
brought  into  the  circle  of  a  few  years,  during 
which  we  may  rationally  look  for  the  Lord's  ap- 
pearing. As  the  prophetic  periods,  counting 
from  the  dates  from  whicli  I  have  reckoned,  have 
not  brought  us  to  the  end,  and  as  I  cannot  tell 
the  exact  time  that  chronology  may  vary  from 


373  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

my  calculations,  I  can  only  live  in  continual  ex- 
pectation of  the  event.  I  am  persuaded  that  I 
cannot  be  far  out  of  the  way,  and  I  believe  that 
God  will  still  justify  my  pr6aching  to  the  world.* 

"  '  With  respect  to  other  features  of  my  views, 
I  can  see  no  reason  to  change  my  belief.  We  are 
living  under  the  last  form  of  the  divided  fourth 
kingdom,  which  brings  us  to  the  end.  The 
prophecies  which  were  to  be  fulfilled  previous  to 
the  end  have  been  so  far  fulfilled  that  I  find  noth- 
ing in  them  to  delay  the  Lord's  coming.  The 
signs  of  the  times  thicken  on  every  hand ;  and 
the  prophetic  periods  must  certainly,  I  think,  have 
brought  us  into  the  neighborhood  of  the  event. 

" '  There  is  not  a  point  in  my  belief  in  which 
I  am  not  sustained  by  some  one  of  the  numerous 
writers  who  have  opposed  my  views.  Prof.  Bush, 
the  most  gentlemanly  of  my  opponents,  admits 
that  I  am  correct  in  the  time,  with  the  exception 
of  the  precise  day  or  year ;  and  this  is  all  for 
which  I  contend.  That  the  70  weeks  are  490 
years,  and  the  1260  and  2300  days  are  so  many 
years,  are  admitted  by  Messers.  Bush,  Hinton,  and 
Jarvis.  That  the  2300  days  and  70  weeks  com- 
mence at  the  same  time,  Prof.  Bush  does  not  deny. 
And  Dr.  Jarvis  admits  that  the  former  carry  us 
to  the  resurrection  and  Judgment.  Prof.  Bush, 
Dr.  Jarvis,  Mv.  Hinton,  and  Mr.  Morris,  admit 
that  the  legs  of  iron  and  fourth  beast  are  Rome, 
and  that  the  little  liorn  of  Dan.  7  is  papacy,  while 
Dr.  Jarvis  and  Mr.  Hinton  admit  that  the  exceed- 
incf  great  horn  of  Daniel  8  is  Home.     The  literal 


*G()d  ill  his  providence  is  justifying  tlie  preacbing  of  time  by 
the  light  of  the  heavi;nly  sanctuai-y,  in  connection  with  the  liiiril 
angel's  uiessitge,  J,  w. 


FATTII    TN"   ADVENT   EXPERIENCE.  373 

resiuTcctiou  oi"  tlio  l)od_y,  the  end  ol"  llic  world,  und 
a  personal  coming  of  (Jhrist,  have  not  been  ques- 
tioned by  several  who  have  written  against  me. 

" '  Thus  there  is  not  a  point  for  which  1  have 
contended  that  has  not  been  admitted  by  some  of 
those  who  have  written  to  disjirove  my  opinions. 
I  have  candidly  weighed  the  objections  advanced 
against  these  views :  but  I  have  seen  no  argu- 
ments that  were  sustained  by  the  Scriptures  that, 
in  my  opinion,  invalidated  my  position.  I  can- 
not, therefore,  conscientiously  refrain  from  look- 
ing for  my  Lord,  or  from  exhorting  my  fellow- 
men,  as  I  have  opportunity,  to  be  in  readiness  for 
that  great  event.  For  my  indiscretions  and  er- 
rors I  ask  pardon ;  and  all  who  have  spoken  evil 
of  me  without  cause  I  freely  forgive.  My  labors 
are  principally  ended.  I  shall  leave  to  my 
younger  brethren  the  task  of  contending  for  the 
truth.  Many  years  I  toiled  alone  ;  God  has  now 
raised  up  those  who  will  fill  my  place.  I  shall 
not  cease  to  pray  for  the  spread  of  truth. 

"'In  conclusion,  suffer  a  word  of  exhortation. 
You,  my  brethren,  who  are  called  by  the  name  of 
Christ,  will  you  not  examine  the  Scriptures  re- 
specting the  nearness  of  the  advent  '!■  The  great 
and  good  of  all  ages  have  had  their  minds  di- 
I'ected  to  about  this  period  of  time,  and  a  multi- 
tude are  impressed  with  the  solemn  conviction 
that  these  are  emphaticall}^  the  last  days.  Is  not 
a  question  of  such  moment  worthy  of  your  con- 
sideration ?  I  do  not  ask  you  to  endjrace  an 
opinion  of  mine ;  but  I  ask  you  to  weigh  well 
the  evidence  contained  in  the  Bil)le.  If  I  am  in 
any  error,  I  desire  to  see  it,  and  I  should  certainly 
renounce  it;  but  look  at  the  question  in  the  light 
of  the  inspired  word,  and  decide  for  eternity. 


371  LIFE    OF    MTLLEK. 

"  '  What,  i.hall  1  .say  Co  my  mir(,iiivci'trd  liieiids  ? 
1  have  faithfully  exhorted  you  these  many  years 
to  believe  in  Christ.  You  have  excused  yourselves. 
What  can  I  say  more  t  Will  not  all  the  consider- 
ations that  are  presented  in  the  Seri])turcs  of 
truth  mf)vc  your  hearts  to  lay  down  the  weapons 
of  your  rebellion  ?  You  have  no  lease  of  your 
lives,  and,  if  the  Lord  should  not  come,  your  eyes 
may  be  soon  closed  in  death.  Why  will  you  not 
improve  the  present  moment,  and  lice  from  the 
wrath  to  come?  Go  to  ( Ihrist,  1  beseech  you; 
lay  hold  on  the  promise  of  God,  trust  in  his  grace, 
and  he  will  cleanse  you  by  his  blood. 

"  '  I  would  exhort  my  Advent  brethren  to  study 
the  word  diligently.  Let  no  man  spoil  you 
through  philosophy  and  vain  deceit.  Avoid  ev- 
erything that  shall  cause  oftense.  Let  your  lives 
be  models  of  goodness  and  propriety.  Let  the 
adversary  get  no  advantage  over  you.  We  have 
been  disappointed ;  but  disappointments  will 
work  for  our  good,  if  we  make  the  rifjht  use  of 
them.  Be  faithful.  Be  vigilant.  Exhort  with 
all  long-suffering  and  patience.  Let  your  conver- 
sation be  in  Heaven,  from  whence  you  look  for 
the  blessed  hope.  Avoid  unnecessary  contro- 
versy and  questions  that  gender  strifes.  Be  not 
many  masters ;  all  are  not  competent  to  advise 
and  direct.  God  will  raise  up  those  to  whom  he 
will  commit  the  direction  of  his  cause.  Be  hum- 
ble, be  watchful,  be  patient,  be  persevering.  And 
may  the  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly,  and 
preserve  you  blameless  unto  the  glorious  appear- 
ing of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ !  Wiltjam  Miller.' 

"  'Low  Hamptou.,  Aug.  1,  1SJ,5.' 


FAITH    IN    THE    WORK.  375 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

HIS  FAITH  IN  HIS  PAST  WORK— VISIT  TO  NEW  YORK  CITY 
— PHILADELPHIA,  ETC. — ADDRESS  TO  THE  PUBLIC — VISIT 
TO  CANADA,  ETC. 

"  In  the  month  of  September,  Mr.  Miller  at- 
tended Conferences  in  Addison  and  Bristol,  Vt., 
and  lectured  in  each  place.  He  then  took  a 
journey  into  Connecticut,  and  visited  Hartford, 
attended  a  camp-meeting  in  Newington,  near 
Hartford,  and  one  at  Square  Pond,  in  Tolland 
County.  He  then  visited  Middletown.  He  was 
much  pleased  with  his  journey,  and  returned 
home  refreshed. 

"  After  this,  in  connection  with  Elder  A.  Hale,  he 
lectured,  in  November  in  the  State  of  Vermont, 
at  Waterbury,  Morristown,  Stowe,  Waitesfield  and 
Burlington.  Besides  at  these  places,  he  seems  to 
have  labored  but  little  during  the  remainder  of 
the  year.  He  occasionally  communicated  arti- 
cles for  the  Advent  Herald,  giving  expositions  of 
Scripture,  &;c. ;  but  the  approaching  infirmities 
of  age  admonished  him  that  his  labors  were  nearly 
ended. 

"  'Low  IIami'tox,  Jajiuarv  10,  IS'IG. 

" '  Dear  Brotiieii  Hbies  : — I  am  jot  in  this 
land  of  toil,  where  sin  has  spoiled  all  the  blessings 
and  enjoyments  of  earth,  which  were  appointed 
by  our  beneficent  Creator  for  the  best  good  of 
his  creatures,  and  which,  had  it  not  been  for  sin, 
would  have  led  us  to  reverence  and  adore  that 
Being  who  had  produced,  by  his  power,  this  earth 
and  all  its  appurtenances,  and  placed  in  it  man — 


LIFE    OF    MlLLP;r.. 


rational,  intelligent,  social  roan — to  enjoy  this 
vast  and  wondrous  piece  of  mechanism. 

"  '  Perhaps  we  are  unable  rightly  to  appreciate 
the  blessings  which  were  placed  within  the  reach 
of  man  at  his  creation,  when  "  the  sons  of  God 
shouted  for  joy."  Yet  I  think  that  we  do  realize 
some  of  the  evils  to  which  man  is  heir  by  reason 
of  "  sin,  and  death  by  sin,"  which  have  entered 
the  world.  How  manifest  it  is,  at  the  present 
day,  that  all  the  influences  of  the  pit  are  inciting 
men  to  crime,  bringing  in  their  trail  consequences 
ten-fold  more  dreadful  than  those  entailed  upon 
us  by  the  sin  of  our  first  parents  !  If  there  were 
one  spark  of  philanthropy  existing  in  the  world, 
methinks  it  must  bleed  at  beholding  the  rapid 
increase  of  evil  within  the  last  few  years. 

" '  I  confess  that  to  me  it  would  be  but  a  dismal 
and  appalling  prospect  in  the  future,  did  not  a  ray 
of  light  beam  forth  from  the  word  of  God,  that 
there  should  be  a  glorious  and  final  renovation  of 
all  things  !  This  "  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promise,"  to  the  man  of  God,  is  the  only  hope  that 
cheers  him  in  his  weary  pilgrimage.  Every 
means  that  the  wisdom  of  man  could  devise  for 
the  melioration  of  the  condition  of  man  has  failed  ; 
ministers  of  the  gospel  have  been  sent  into  every 
land ;  Bibles  have  been  scattered  broadcast  in  the 
earth,  translated  into  almost  every  tongue,  and 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  poor,  "  without  money 
and  without  price ;"  schools  of  every  grade,  from 
the  college  to  the  common,  have  sprung  up,  in 
which  have  been  developed  the  highest  mental 
qualities  of  man ;  societies  have  been  multiplied 
for  the  moral  improvement  of  our  race, — to  Chris- 
tianize the  lieathen,  to  reform  the  inebriate,  to 
break  ihc  bonds  of  the  enslaved,  to  liberate  the 


NATURE    OF    HIS    PAST    WORK.  /)  /  / 

debtor,  to  stoj)  the  horrid  ]>ractice  ol"  legal  murder, 
to  promote  peace  among  nations,  to  protect  the  or- 
phan, to  clothe  the  naked,  to  feed  the  hungry,  to 
nurse  the  sick,  and  even  to  bury  the  dead.  These, 
and  many  other  noble  and  benevolent  enterprises, 
have  been  formed  within  the  present  century. 
But  how  much  good  have  they  accomplished  ? 
That  great  good  has  been  done,  cannot  be  denied. 
But  it  is  likewise  true  that  evil  has  predominated 
in  a  far  greater  ratio  than  at  any  former  period. 
" '  When  I  look  back  to  the  period  when  we 
began  to  publish  the  news  of  a  coming  Saviour, 
I  think  it  the  happiest  time  of  my  life.  How 
were  our  hearts  refreshed  by  the  readiness  of  the 
dear  brethren  in  Christ  to  hear,  believe,  and  obey, 
the  simple  gospel  of  the  kingdom  !  With  what 
delight  have  I,  in  company  with  many  of  the 
dear,  anxious  children  of  God,  read  and  re-read 
the  Scriptures,  searched  diligently  and  compared 
the  prophets,  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  apostles,  to 
see  if  these  things  were  so  I  What  glorious  light 
I  have  often  seen  in  that  holy  book  while  thus 
engaged !  And  with  what  joy  have  I  taken  sweet 
communion  with  kindred  hearts  in  the  house  of 
God,  where  our  faith  was  more  and  more  estab- 
lished by  the  word  of  his  grace ;  where  our  pray- 
ers were  mingled  at  the  same  altar,  and  arose 
together,  as  incense,  to  the  mercy- seat  of  our  Re- 
deemer, for  a  preparation  to  meet  the  coming 
glories,  which  we  then  expected  shortly  to  real- 
ize ;  where  our  hearts  burned  with  love  and  grat- 
itude to  God  for  the  good  news  of  the  near  ap- 
proach of  the  King  of  kings ;  where  our  songs  of 
praise  and  hallelujahs  to  the  Lamb  cheered  our 
drooping  spirits,  and  prepared  us  more  vigorously 
to  pursue  our  weary  pilgrimage  to  the  land  of 


378  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

|Uoiiii;;c,  which,  IVoui  cvi<lcnrc  to  us  coiiclu.sivc, 
and  which  1  am  not  ashamed  of,  we  soon  expect 
to  reach ! 

'"Then,  lieait  beat  in  unison  with  heart,  soul 
mingled  with  soul,  and  love,  holy,  heavenly,  di- 
vine, united  us  in  that  oneness  of  gospel  truth, 
and  prejudice  and  party  were  dissipated  from 
our  thouglits  like  midnight  darkness,  or  the 
morning  ndsts  by  the  rising  sun.  This  was  a 
time  of  love,  a  time  of  faith,  working  by  love 
and  purifying  the  heart.  It  was  this  hope,  "  the 
blessed  hope,"  that  made  us  purify  ourselves  from 
our  sectarian  prejudices  and  bigotry. 

"'I  have  often  thought  that  we  then  enjoyed 
a  foretaste  of  the  love  and  fellowship  of  the 
saints  in  light.  Why  is  it  not  so  now  ?  The  rea- 
son is  as  obvious  as  the  sun  at  noonday.  We 
have  been  drawn  from  our  fir&i  2'>nnciples  by 
wicked  and  designing  men,  who  have  crept  in 
among  us  and  drawn  us  into  parties,  to  follow 
men  instead  of  God,  and  to  form  new  tests  in- 
stead of  the  Bible.  Some  of  our  lecturers  first 
began  the  confusion  by  declaring  an  unholy  cru- 
sade against  the  sects,  which  brought  in  men  of 
blood  instead  of  men  of  peace.  True,  after  the 
manner  of  men,  the  sects  had  provoked  us  to  the 
course  we  took  by  all  the  wicked  arts  and  mis- 
representation of  our  views  and  motives  that  hu- 
man and  Satanic  agency  could  invent — by  slan- 
der, ridicule,  and  wresting  the  word  of  God  from 
the  meaning  which  had  long  been  laid  down  in 
their  own  creeds,  and  departing  from  those  rules 
by  which  their  fathers,  for  centuries,  had  applied 
mystic  Babylon  to  the  church  of  Rome.  We 
were  not  called,  in  my  humble  opinion,  to  engage 
in  so  universal  a  war.     I  think  we  have,  in  this, 


NATURE   OF    IIlS    PAST    WORK.  old 

"lerioni'  tirst  principles,"  wb'uh  were  id  prciicli 
the  blessed  liope,  and  b(.'seeeh  men  to  be  ready 
for  tlie  "  glorious  appearing  of  the  great  Clod  and 
our  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  without  personal  or 
denominational  considerations.  While  we  pur- 
sued this  course,  God  blessed  us  in  ouv  work. 
We  were  commanded  by  the  word  to  l)e  jiatient, 
sober,  to  judge  not,  not  to  1)C  high-minded,  but 
to  fear,  and,  by  so  doing,  manifest  the  same  spirit 
that  was  in  Christ.  What  have  ])ecn  the  fruits 
of  this  departure  fronr  the  plain  line  of  duty  ? 
Surely,  they  have  not  been  love,  peace,  and  joy, 
such  as  we  formerly  experienced,  when  we  be- 
lieved in  our  hearts  that  Christ  was  at  the  door. 
On  the  contrary,  it  has,  in  many  instances,  sep- 
arated those  who  had  been  knit  together  in  the 
closest  friendship,  fomented  jealousies,  produced 
"lo!  heres,  and  lo!  theres!"  while  some  have  blas- 
phemously arrogated  to  themselves  names  and 
titles  which  belong  to  Christ.  With  such  I 
have  no  sympathy,  no  fellowship.  I  will  refer 
them  to  Christ's  words,  Rev.  3:3:  "  Remember, 
therefore,  how  thou  hast  received  and  heard,  and 
hold  fast,  and  repent.  If,  therefore,  thou  shalt 
not  watch,  I  will  come  on  thee  as  a  thief,  and 
thou  shalt  not  know  what  hour  I  will  come  upon 
thee." 

" '  The  glorious  appearing  of  Christ  is  my  only 
hope ;  to  this  I  cling — it  is  my  anchor ;  and  all 
who  look  for  and  love  his  appearing  are  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  and  with  such  I  have  fellow- 
ship in  the  Lord,  and  exhort  them  to  watch. 

" '  Willia:\i  Miller.' 

"  On  the  11th  of  March,  184G,  in  company  with 
Messrs.  Himes  and  Apollos  Hale,  Mr.  M,  lectured 


380  LIFE    OF    MILLRIl. 

at  Glenn's  Falls,  N.  Y.  It  docs  not  a[)peai  that 
he  visited  any  other  place  till  al»ont  the  time  of 
the  annual  Conference,  which  met  in  Now  York 
city  on  the  12th  of  May. 

"  His  bodily  infirmities  rendered  it  unsafe  for 
him  to  journey  without  the  attendance  of  some 
one  to  render  him  all  needful  assistance  ;  there- 
fore he  arranged  with  Elder  Henry  Buckley,  of 
Hampton,  N.  Y.,  to  accompany  him  to  New  York 
city. 

"  They  left  home  on  Saturday,  the  0th  of  May, 
and  proceeded  as  far  as  Lansingburg,  N.  Y.  On 
the  Sabbath  he  went  to  Middletown,  N.  Y.,  where 
he  preached  twice,  returning,  after  service,  to 
Lansingburg.  On  Monda}^,  the  11th,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  New  York  city.  He  took  part  in  the 
debates  and  preaching  of  the  Conference,  and, 
though  feeble,  seemed  to  enjoy  the  meetings. 

"After  its  adjournment,  they  visited  Philadel- 
phia. On  Sunday,  the  17th,  he  preached  in  the 
morning:  and  evening  to  larcje  and  attentive  con- 
gregations.  The  next  day  he  visited  his  former 
acquaintances,  and,  on  the  lOtli,  he  left  for  Prov- 
idence, R.  I.  There  they  attended  a  meeting  of 
the  Friends,  which  continued  four  days,  and  to 
which  Mr.  M.  preached  four  discourses,  with  his 
usual  interest.  On  the  25th  he  visited  North 
Scituate,  R.  I.,  and  gave  two  discourses.  On  the 
26th  he  preached  twice  in  North  Attleboro', 
Mass.,  and,  on  the  27th,  arrived  in  Boston,  The 
Annual  Conference  was  adjourned  from  New 
York  to  meet  there,  and  commenced  on  the  day 
previous.  He  again  took  part  in  its  debates,  but 
spent  most  of  his  time  in  visiting  friends  and  ac- 
quaintances in  the  vicinity.  They  visited  West- 
minster, Mass.,  where  Mr.  M.  preached  on  the  3d 


ADDUKSS    TO    THK    rilU.lC.  3S1 

of  June  ;  and,  on  the  5th,  he  arrived  home,  much 
fatigued  with  his  journey,  but  in  good  health  and 
spirits. 

"  On  the  24th  of  June,  in  company  with  Elder 
Buckley,  ISIr.  M.  visited  Cranbury  Creek,  N.  Y., 
where  he  preached  seven  discourses  in  four  da,ys. 
No  other  place  being  open  for  the  meetings,  they 
were  held  in  a  large  barn,  owned  by  Judge  Gil- 
bert. It  was  comfortably  furnished  with  seats, 
and  accommodated  very  respectable  congrega- 
tions, composed  of  the  more  intelligent  and  pious 
portion  of  the  community.  Mr.  M.'s  discourses 
there  were  spoken  of  by  those  present  as  logical 
and  interesting. 

"  During  the  warm  months  he  attempted  no 
public  labors ;  and  his  pen,  even,  seems  to  have 
lain  idle.  The  next  communication  received  from 
him  was  published  in  the  Advent  Herald  of  Sep- 
tember 9,  1846,  as  follows : — 

"  '  ADDRESS    TO    THE    PUBLIC. 

" '  Dear  Readeh  : — Permit  me  to  address  you 
once  more  by  calling  your  attention  to  the  great 
events  which  the  word  of  God  declares  are  soon 
to  come  to  pass,  that  I  may  faithfully  perform 
my  duty ;  and  that  you  may  be  able  to  answer, 
in  that  way  which  will  be  satisfactory  to  your 
own  soul,  in  the  day  wdien  God  shall  judge  the 
secret  thoughts  of  men  l.»y  Jesus  Christ. 

"  '  In  my  former  communications  to  you  on  this 
subject — which  is  near  my  heart,  fills  my  soul  at 
times  with  indescribable  joy  and  consolation,  and 
is  big  with  tlio  ho|>e  of  soon,  very  soon,  coming 
into  ]»<wsessi(tn  of  inniiortality  and  eternal  life  — 
I  readily  confess  I  was  misleil  in  my  calculations ; 


382  LIFK    OK    MILLEK. 

not  by  the  word  of  God,  nor  by  the  established 
principles  of  interpretation  I  adopted,  but  by  the 
authorities  which  I  followed  in  history  and  chro- 
nology, and  which  have  been  generally  considered 
worthy  of  the  fullest  confidence.  And  I  fear 
many  of  you  have  been  blinded  to  your  own  in- 
terest, which  may  be  of  eternal  consequences  to 
you,  by  hasty  expressions  of  full  confidence  in 
these  authors,  before  I  had  carefully  and  more 
extensively  examined  the  subject  to  which  I  had, 
in  the  simplicity  of  my  heart,  called  your  candid 
and  serious  attention. 

"  '  The  testimony  of  historians,  as  to  the  dates 
of  events,  cannot  aff*ect  the  testimony  of  the  word 
of  God,  that,  at  certain  periods  from  these  events, 
his  promises  shall  be  fulfilled.  They  may  fail, 
but  his  word  cannot  fail,  I  confess  I  have  been 
thus  mistaken  as  to  the  definite  time ;  but  what 
of  that  ?  Will  you  or  any  man  dare  to  take 
the  ground  that,  because  Mr.  Miller  or  any  other 
man  made  a  mistake,  the  word  of  God  is  not  true  ? 
No,  no.  There  would  be  nothing  in  that  worthy 
of  being  called  an  argument, 

" '  But,  above  all  things  else,  I  was  deceived  in 
the  number  and  character  of  those  who,  without 
study,  argument,  or  reason,  rejected  the  (to  me  at 
least)  glorious  news  of  the  coming  Saviour.  Nei- 
ther did  1  suppose  that  a  man  or  woman  could 
have  been  found  on  the  habitable  earth,  who 
loved  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  believed  the  Bi- 
ble, who  would  reject  the  second  advent  or  the 
redemption  of  the  body ;  the  final  salvation  of  the 
soul,  or  the  inheritance  of  eternal  life,  at  the  ap- 
pearing of  Jesus  Christ.  Yet  facts  warrant  me 
to  say   I  find   more  than  one-half  who  profess 


ADDRESS    TO    THK    I'LnLlC.  383 

Christianity  denj'ing  one  or  more  of  these  funda- 
mental pillars  of  the  Christian  hope. 

" '  I  am  thankful  to  God,  although  much  and 
sorely  disappointed,  that  I  never  pretended  to  be 
divinely  inspired,  but  ahvays  directed  you  to  the 
same  source  from  v/hich  I  obtained  all  the  in- 
formation I  then  had  and  now  possess  on  this 
glorious  and  heart-cheering  subject.  Let  me, 
tlien,  exhort  you,  kind  reader,  by  the  value  of 
truth,  by  the  worth  of  your  own  soul,  and  the 
love  of  life  everlasting,  to  examine  your  Bible  on 
the  coming  of  Christ,  the  redemption  of  the  body, 
the  salvation  of  your  soul,  and  the  everlasting  in- 
heritance. Lay  by  all  prejudice,  all  opinions  not 
founded  on  the  plain  and  clear  declarations  of 
God's  word ;  keep  close  to  that  rule  which  will 
thoroughly  furnish  you,  and  make  you  perfect  in 
every  good  work ;  examine  for  yourselves ;  let 
no  man  deceive  you  in  these  days  of  deception, 
when  the  devil  has  come,  deceiving,  if  possible, 
the  very  elect.  Now  is  the  time  for  you  to  ex- 
ercise the  "  sober  second  thought ;  "  a  good  time 
for  you  to  come  over  on  the  side  of  truth,  to 
choose  the  good,  and  refuse  the  evil,  I  beseech 
you,  do  not  say,  "  Nay,  I  will  not  examine  !  " 
Do  not  say,  "  I  am  well  enough  oft',  and  I  have 
got  the  truth  I "  Perhaps  you  have ;  if  so,  it  will 
not  hurt  you  to  re-examine,  for  every  re- examin- 
ation only  makes  the  truth  the  brighter,  our  evi- 
dence more  clear,  and  our  love  for  the  truth  more 
fervent ;  it  helps  to  establish  our  faith  and  hope, 
and  keeps  us  from  wavering. 

"  '  And  now,  dear  reader,  let  me  propose  a  few 
([uestions,  in  view  of  what  I  have  said,  for  3'ou 
to  answer  to  God  and  your  own  soul ;  and  I  pray 
you  not  to  trifle  with  them,  or  one  of  them,  if 


384  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

you  can  find  a  plain  Scripture  text  which  au- 
thorizes the  question.  And  I  beg  of  you  delay 
not  to  answer  every  question  which  may  or  can 
be  answered ;  and  let  your  answers  be  such  as 
you  will  be  willing  to  meet  before  the  throne  of 
God  in  the  day  of  Judgment,  to  which  day  I  ap- 
peal in  thus  addressing  you,  I  append  a  text 
to  every  question,  to  show  you  they  are  script- 
ural : — 

" '  1.  Will  Christ  appear  the  second  time  ? 
Heb.  9  :  28. 

"  '  2.  Will  he  come  himself  ?     1  Thess.  4:16. 

"  '  3.  Who  will  see  him  ?  1  John  3:2;  Rev. 
1:7. 

"  '  4.  'V\Tio  will  not  be  ashamed  before  him  at 
his  coming  ?     1  John  2  :  28  ;  4  :  17. 

"  '  5.  What  will  Christ  come  to  do  ?  2  Thess. 
1  :  7-10 ;  Heb.  1  :  10-12  ;  Rev.  21  :  5. 

"  '  6.  When  Christ  comes,  will  there  be  a  resur- 
rection ?  and  of  whom  ?  1  Cor.  15  :  23  ;  1  Thess. 
4  :  14-18. 

"'7.  Where  is  Christ  now?  Acts  1:11; 
3:21. 

" '  8.  At  what  time  will  Christ  be  sent  again 
to  earth  ?     Acts  3  :  20,  21. 

" '  9.  When  may  we  know  he  is  near,  even  at 
the  door  ?     Matt.  24  :  30,  33. 

" '  10.  Has  any  one  of  the  signs  been  seen 
which  are  given  by  our  Lord  in  Matt.  24  :  29 ; 
Mark  13  :  24,  25,  or  Luke  21 :  25,  26  ;  or  by  Paul 
in  1  Tim.  4  : 1-3  ;  also  2  Tim.  3  : 1-9  ;  or  by  Pe- 
ter in  2  Pet.  3  : 3,  4,  by  any  one  living  in  this 
generation  ? 

'"11.  When  is  the  day  of  r^'deuiption  ?  Kph, 
4  :  30  ;  Luke  21  :  ^8, 


ADDKESS    TO    THE    TUDLIC.  385 

'"12.  When  shall  our  bodies  \h)  leJeeiued  ? 
Rom.  8  :  28. 

"  '  13.  When  shall  our  son  Is  be  saved  ?  1  Pet. 
1:7-13. 

" '  14.  When  shall  the  righteous  inherit  eter- 
nal life  ?     Mark  10:17;  Matt.  10  :  29  ;  25  :  4G. 

" '  15.  What  is  the  earnest  of  that  inheritance  ? 
Eph.  1  :  13,  14  ;  2  Cor.  1  :  22  ;  5:4,  5. 

"  '  IG.  Tf  we  are  to  receive  all  this  when  Christ 
appears,  and  not  until  then,  can  you  blame  any- 
Christian  for  loving  his  appearing  ?  2  Tim. 
4:8. 

" '  17.  And,  if  you  were  commanded  to  watch 
for  him,  and  these  Ijlessings  were  promised  when 
he  comes,  would  you  not  look  with  intense  inter- 
est until  his  coming  ? 

"  '  18.  And,  if  you  were  commanded  to  watch, 
would  you  watch  without  expecting  him  ?  Luke 
12  :  35-40. 

"'10.  And,  if  he  did  not  come  when  you  ex- 
pected, would  you  not  be  disappointed  in  some 
proportion  to  your  love  for  his  appearing  ? 

" '  Remember  this  is  the  situation  of  your 
Advent  friends ;  this  is  our  experience.  And 
may  God  help  you  to  love,  watch,  and  expect  the 
dear  Saviour  until  he  shall  come. 

" '  William  Miller.' 

"  On  the  4th  of  September,  in  view  of  many 
contradictory  opinions  afloat,  he  proffered  the 
following  advice : — 

" '  When  we  write  to  a  brother  to  complain  of 
some  of  his  opinions,  let  us  consider  of  it  three 
days  before  we  write;  pray  God  nine  times  to 
direct  us  before  we  take  up  the  pen  ;  read  it  in 

Miller.  25 


38G  LIFE   OF    MILLER. 

the  room  ot  our  brother  three  times  before  we 
send  it ;  seal  it  only  when  we  love  him  for  being 
God-like ;  send  it  when  we  would  delight  to  be 
the  bearer;  while  it  is  going,  think  with  what 
tears  of  joy  he  will  devour  its  contents;  and  re- 
member to  pay  postage.' 

"  On  the  Sth  of  September,  Mr.  M,  commenced 
a  tour  into  Canada.  He  went  by  way  of  Lake 
Champlain  to  Burlington,  Vt.,  where  he  preached 
in  the  evening  of  that  day.  There  he  met  Elder 
Buckley,  who  accompanied  him  on  his  tour. 
From  this  place  they  went  to  Essex,  Yt.,  where 
Mr.  M.  gave  two  discourses.  On  the  12th,  they 
commenced  a  two-days'  meeting  in  Cambridge, 
Vt.,  where  there  was  a  good  attendance.  On 
Tuesday,  the  loth,  they  commenced  a  meeting 
in  Montgomery,  Yt.,  which  continued  over  the 
following  Sabbath,  Mr.  Miller  generally  preach- 
ing twice  a  day. 

"  While  at  this  place  he  was  taken  with  a  severe 
pain  in  one  of  his  toes.  He  was  soon  relieved  of 
that,  when  the  pain  commenced  in  his  left  shoul- 
der. He  then  desired  to  return  home,  but  was 
persuaded  to  continue  his  journey.  On  the  22d, 
he  gave  two  discourses  in  South  Troy,  Yt.  The 
meeting  was  held  in  a  large  hall  which  had  for- 
merly been  used  for  a  ball-room.  While  he  was 
preaching  in  the  evening,  the  windows  were 
pelted  with  eggs,  clubs,  and  stones,  thrown  by 
some  '  rude  fellows  of  the  baser  sort,'  who  were 
outside  of  the  building.  Some  of  their  missiles 
entered  the  room.  One  stone,  about  the  size  of 
a  hen's  egg,  struck  the  desk  in  front  of  Mr.  Miller, 
where  he  was  speaking.  He  paused,  and,  with 
emphasis,  asked,  very  composedly : — 
'"  '  Is  this  Yerraont,  the  State  which  boasts  of 


SICKNESS    IN-   CANADA.  387 

its  frccdoin,    of  its    rcimhlicanisin  ?     Sharac    on 
Vei'mont ! ' 

"  Tiie  audience  were  .somewiiat  agitated;  but 
lie  requested  them  to  be  ([uiet,  and  proceeded  with 
his  discourse.  No  one  was  injured,  and  good  evi- 
dently resulted  from  the  interruption ;  for  it 
aroused  the  old  gentleman's  energy,  and  gave 
additional  interest  to  the  remainder  of  the  sermon. 

"  On  Thursday,  the  2-ith  of  Sejitember,  they 
commenced  a  Conference  at  Derby  Line,  Yt., 
which  continued  four  days.  The  pain  in  i\lr.  M/s 
shoulder  had  increased  considerably,  and  resulted 
in  a  tumor  of  considerable  size,  which  was  much 
inflamed.  Yet  he  preached  six  times,  with  a  good 
degree  of  vigor. 

"  On  Monday,  the  28th,  a  widowed  sister  of 
]\Ir.  M.,  living  in  Canada,  having  met  him  at 
Derby  Line,  he  left  with  her  for  her  residence  in 
Hatley.  He  was  there  confined  about  three  weeks 
with  the  tumor  on  his  shoulder,  which  was  very 
painful,  affecting  his  neck  and  head,  and  dis- 
clmrged  freely  for  many  days.  In  consecjuence 
of  this  indi.sposition,  he  was  unable  to  fulfill  sev- 
eral appointments,  which  he  had  made  in  that 
region,  much  to  the  disappointment  of  the  inhab- 
itants. 

"  As  soon  as  they  were  able  to  ride,  they  started 
for  Low  Hampton ;  but  the  weather  and  roads 
made  the  traveling  veiy  tedious.  On  his  way 
home  he  spent  a  Sabbath,  and  preached  a  discourse 
of  two  hours'  duration,  at  Rickford,  Yt.,  which 
left  him  so  weak  that  it  was  with  difficulty  he 
could  walk.  On  arriving  at  Fairfield,  Yt.,  they 
spent  a  night,  and  Mr.  M.  preached  in  the  even- 
ing. They  arrived  at  Low  Hampton  after  an 
absence  of  about  nine  weeks,  during  which  he 


388  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

had  been  Irealeil  wlLli  t^venl  kindncso  ;ui<l  rc;i|>ect 
wherever  lie  visited,-  with  the  exception  ol"  the 
incident  at  Troy, 

"' My  tour  into  ( 'jinathi/  he  wrote,  soon  after 
hi,s  return,  '  wouhl  have  heen  pheasant  and  agree- 
able to  lue,  had  it  not  been  for  sickness,  which 
confined  me  to  the  house.' 

"  On  the  :^7th  of  Noveml)cr  following:,  he  wrote 
to  Elder  Buckley,  who  accompanied  him  on  the 
above  journey : — 

" '  I  cannot  tell  you  what  I  have  done  since  you 
were  here,  but  1  can  tell  you  what  I  have  not  done. 

" '  1 .  I  have  not  done  with  vanity.  It  is  as 
iiatiiral  as  my  l)reath ;  and  if  I  ever  cease  from 
vain  and  tiifling  conversation  in  this  world,  you 
must  })lace  me  in  society  which  I  have  no  regard 
for, — either  to  love  or  to  hate, — where  I  could  be 
a  hypocrite  without  any  drawback.  For  1  have 
often  noticed,  when  1  am  alone  and  with  no  one 
to  converse  with,  that  I  am  not  tempted  to  speak 
words  of  vanity.  This  is  the  reason  why  I  choose 
to  be  alone  much  of  my  time.  In  my  opinion, 
this  accounts  for  the  ascetic  lives  of  the  early 
Christians.  What  think  you — is  it  not  best  for 
me  to  become  a  hermit  ? 

" '  2.  I  have  not  done  with  paiii.  1  have  been 
troubled  with  head-ache,  teeth-ache,  bones-ache, 
and  heart-ache,  since  you  left ;  but  much  more  of 
the  last  ache,  when  I  think  of  so  many  of  my 
once  dearly  beloved  brethren,  who  have,  since 
our  disappointment,  gone  into  fanaticism  of  every 
kind,  and  left  the  first  principles  of  the  glorious 
appearing  of  the  great  God  and  our  Saviour,  Je- 
sus Christ,  And  now,  can  you  blame  me  for  de- 
siring a  hermitage,  away  from  these  evil  tidings 


INTERESTING    LETTKK.  '  389 

and  shameful  acts  of  our  friends  in  this  time  of 
severe  trial  ? 

"'3.  I  have  not  done  with  coiruption.  My 
swelling  discharges  a  little  every  day,  and  I  see 
myself  falling  to  corruption  daily.  It  may  be  that 
I  am  corrupting  others  who  may  be  brought  in- 
to contact  with  me, — for  instance,  the  fanatics. 
If  they  never  had  heard  of  "  Millerism,"  they 
would  have  been  sober,  worldly-seeking,  church- 
loving,  and  sectarian-building  men  and  women 
to  this  day ;  and  they  would  have  been  respected 
as  much  as  other  church  members  are  by  the  rich 
and  popular  worldlings.  Yes,  yes ;  so  says  the 
world ;  and  you  know  that  what  the  world  says 
must  be  true.  This  is,  in  these  modern  times, 
the  best  evidence.  If  then,  I  had  been  a  recluse, 
instead  of  running  at  large,  it  might  have  saved 
the  world  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  the  church 
the  knowledge  of  a  great  deal  of  corruption. 

" '  4.  I  have  done  no  good  thing.  I  can  prove 
this  by  every  writer,  Christian  and  political,  edit- 
ors, doctors  of  divinity,  professors  and  ministers 
of  all  denominations,^from  the  Eoman  Catholic 
to  the  Monnon, — -save  only  a  few  despised  Ad- 
ventists,  who,  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  are  as 
much  below  the  Mormons  as  Christ  was  l)elow 
Barabbas  in  the  Jews'  estimation. 

" '  But,'  say  you,  '  you  say  you  have  done  no 
good  thing.  Was  it  not  a  good  thing  to  tell  us, 
Avho  love  Christ's  appearing,  that  ho  was  near  to 
come  ?  Was  it  not  a  trood  thinfr  to  read  the  Bi- 
ble  to  us,  and  sliow  by  liistoiy  its  fulfillment  and 
truth  ?  Was  it  not  a  good  thing  to  warn  sinners 
of  their  danger,  which  luight  lead  them  to  re- 
]>entancc  and  a  ].n'eparaiion  foi-  tlio  Judgment? 
\Va::  it  n<.t  a  {-vm,,!  tliint-'  to  t.rc.it  h  the  kinerdom 


390  LIFE   OF   MlLLEll. 

of  Heaven  at  hand  and  the  Judgment  ?  Was  it 
not  a  good  thing  to  preach  the  resurrection  of 
these  bodies,  the  inheritance  of  the  saints,  and 
the  reign  of  Christ  and  his  people  on  the  earth 
made  new  forever  ?  Was  it  not  a  good  thing  to 
comfort  the  saints  with  the  words  of  his  coming, 
and  to  stir  them  up  to  a  remembrance  of  the 
things  which  Christ,  the  prophets,  and  apostles, 
have  spoken  concerning  his  coming  ?  And  have 
not  you  done  all  this  ? ' 

" '  No,  no.' 

" '  Who  has  then  ? ' 

"'I  answer,  it  was  the  grace  of  God  which 
worked  in  me  of  his  own  good  pleasure  both  to 
will  and  to  do, 

"■ '  Since  I  have  been  preaching  this  hour,  I  will 
give  you  my  text,  2  Cor.  12:11,  last  clause: 
"Though  I  be  nothing."  And  now,  lastly,  the 
improvement. 

" '  1.  You  may  learn,  by  my  subject,  that  I  am 
nothing — like  the  clay  in  the  hands  of  the  potter. 

" '  2.  You  may  learn,  if  any  good  has  been 
done,  that  God  has  done  it  by  his  grace ;  and  if 
any  evil,  it  is  a  chastisement  for  disobedience ; 
for  "  shall  there  be  evil  in  a  city,  and  the  Lord 
hath  not  done  it  ? "     Amos  3  : 0. 

" '  3.  We  may  learn,  by  the  effect  of  any  work, 
whether  it  be  of  God.  If  wicked  men,  and  proud, 
selfish,  popular  professors  join  hand  in  hand  to 
oppose  you,  you  may  be  sui-e  that  God  is  in  the 
work, 

" '  4,  You  may  learn,  by  my  subject,  that  1  am 
not  well  of  my  disease,  nor  do  I  expect  to  be 
till  Christ  comes ;  for  which  event  I  look  with 
great  interest  and  desire.     Youi-s, 

'"  Wm.  Miij.ek/ 


LAST   VISIT   TO    MASSACHUSETTS.  391 

"With  the  exception  of  an  occasional  article 
for  the  press,  Mr.  Miller  made  no  public  effort 
during  the  winter.  His  health  would  not  per- 
mit. As  the  time  approached  for  the  usual  An- 
nual Meeting  in  New  York  city  in  May,  1847,  he 
made  arrangements  to  be  present ;  but  his  health 
was  not  sufficient.  In  writing  of  his  inability 
to  be  present,  under  date  of  May  G,  1847,  he 
said  : — 

" '  I  cannot  charge  myself  with  any  corrupt 
motive  in  promoting  the  Second  Advent  doc- 
trine. If  I  have  any  regret,  it  is  because  I  have 
done  so  little,  a,nd  because  I  have  been  so  ineffi- 
cient. I  have  lacked  in  zeal  more  than  I  have 
lacked  in  faith.  I  believed,  and  do  still,  in  this 
glorious  and  Bible  doctrine  of  the  second  coming 
of  our  dear  Redeemer,  and  of  his  everlasting 
kingdom  or  reign  in  paradise  restored. 

"  '  I  fear  that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  attend  at 
Boston.' 

"  His  health  was,  however,  so  much  improved, 
that,  with  Elder  Buckley,  his  companion  in 
travel  of  the  previous  year,  he  left  home  on  the 
20th  of  May,  and  arrived  in  Boston  on  the  22d, 
three  days  before  the  Conference  commenced. 

"  The  day  following  was  Sunday,  and  he 
preached  two  discourses,  in  the  afternoon  and 
evening,  at  the  saloon,  at  No.  9  Milk  street, 
where  the  Adventists  then  worshiped.  On 
Monday  evening  he  preached,  in  the  same  place, 
on  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  He  took  part 
in  the  discussions  of  the  Conference  dunng  the 
w^eek,  preached  once  on  the  following  Sabbath, 
and  on  IMonday  left  for  home,  where  he  arrived 
on  Tuesday,  June  1.  This  was  his  last  visit  to 
Massachusetts. 


392  LIFK   OF   MILLER. 


CHAPTER    XX. 

LOSS  OF  SIGHT — HEALTH  DECLINES — EXPRESSION  OF  SYM- 
PATHY— HIS  KEPLY' — HIS  LAST  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH 
■ — FUNERAL  —  LETTER  OF  rONDOLENOE  TO  SURVIVINti 
FRIENDS. 

"Ox  the  15th  of  September,  1847,  he  was 
jjresent  at  a  tent-meeting  at  Basin  Harbor,  in 
Ferrisburg,  Vt.,  which  continued  four  days.  In 
a  letter  written  on  the  27th  of  the  same  month, 
he  makes  the  following  reference  to  it : — 

"'Dear  BrvOXHEii  Himes:  I  cannot  refrain 
from  writing  a  few  words  to  you,  to  let  you 
know  how  my  soul  and  body  prosper  since  our 
tent-meeting  at  Basin  Harbor. 

" '  That  was  to  me  a  profitable  time.  It 
seemed  like  former  times,  when  the  truth  cut  to 
the  heart  all  who  heard.  The  preaching  was 
plain,  powerful,  and  convincing.  The  prayer- 
meetings  were  humble,  devotional,  and  penitent, 
and  very  properly  conducted.  No  uproar,  con- 
fusion, or  fanaticism,  which  disturb  the  mind, 
and  leave  a  bad  savor  upon  the  hearts  of  the 
fastidious.  The  Conferences  were  perfect  love- 
feasts,  and  the  songs  such  as  the  poet  describes  : — 

"  '  My  ■willing  soiil  would  stay 
In  such  a  frame  as  this  ; 
And  sit  and  sing  herself  a\vay 
To  everlasting  bliss. ' 

I  never  expect  to  enjoy  anothe]-  such  a  feast  of 
tabernacles  in  the  flesh.  God  was  with  us. 
Praise  his  holy  name.' 


LOSS  OK  SIGUT.  393 

"  Toward  the  last  of  January,  1848,  Mr.  Miller 
was  attacked  with  a  dimness  of  sight,  which  de- 
prived him  of  his  usual  privilege  of  reading  and 
writing,  which,  through  life,  had  been  to  him  a 
source  of  great  enjoyment.  His  health,  other- 
wise, continued  as  good  as  could  he  expected,  in 
his  gradually  declining  age. 

"  With  the  loss  of  his  sight,  he  had  to  depend 
on  others  to  read  to  him,  and  to  write  the  letters 
which  he  dictated.  He  desired  the  continuance 
of  letters  from  his  correspondents,  1  uit  requested 
them  to  excuse  him  from  replying. 

"The  hope  of  soon  meeting  them  where  the 
lame  man  shall  leap  as  an  hart,  the  tongue  of  the 
dumb  sing,  the  blind  receive  their  sight,  and  the 
deaf  hear,  and  the  belief  in  the  nearness  of  that 
day,  was  a  great  consolation  to  him  under  his  ac- 
cumulating infirmities.  His  loss  of  sight  was 
communicated  by  his  son,  Wm.  S.  Miller,  Esq.,  in 
a  letter  dated  February  10,  about  two  weeks 
after  his  attack. 

"  On  the  7th  of  March,  a  letter,  from  a  daugh- 
ter-in-law of  Mr,  ]\Iillcr,  stated  that  his  general 
health  was  then  better,  but  that  he  had  been  un- 
able to  read  a  word  for  seven  weeks  anterior  to 
the  preceding  Sabliath.  On  that  day,  his  son 
llobbins  took  the  glass  from  the  s})y-glass,  and 
held  it  to  his  eye,  so  that  he  read  a  few  words. 
She  added  : — 

"  '  His  eyes  are  not  sore  :  the  [thysician  whom 
he  has  consulted  says  the  retina  is  affected.  Fa- 
ther bears  his  aftliction  well.  I  have  never  heard 
him  murmur,  nor  say  that  it  was  hard.  I  think 
that  he  feels  somewhat  "  cast  down,  l>ut  not  ff)r- 
r;akcn." ' 


394  LIFK    OF    MILLER. 

"  Appended  to  the  above  letter,  Mr,  Miller 
wrote,  without  being  able  to  see  a  word : — 

"  '  God  bless  you,  bless  you  all,  and  save  you, 
is  my  prayer.  Wm.  Millek.' 

'•'  After  this,  his  general  health  was  some  im- 
proved, so  that  he  was  able  to  be  about  and  to 
busy  himself  with  light  work.  He  was  able  to 
distinguish  one  object  from  another,  and  could 
often  recognize  his  friends  and  acquaintances  ; 
but,  with  the  best  glasses  he  could  get,  he  could 
not  so  distinguish  letters  as  to  read  words.  He 
sometimes  attempted  to  write  without  seeing  the 
letters  that  he  traced. 

"On  the  14th  of  September,  1^48,  he  wrote  to 
Mr.  Himes  :— 

" '  Permit  me  to  write  a  few  words,  although 
you  may  not  be  able  to  read  them.  Yet  it  may 
till  up  a  lonesome  hour  or  two  of  many  a  weari- 
some day  to  think  I  have  indited  some  of  my 
thoughts  to  my  old  brother  traveler.  It  would, 
indeed,  be  a  sad  and  melancholy  time  with  me 
were  it  not  for  the  "  blessed  hope,"  of  soon  seeing 
Jesus,  In  this  I  flatter  myself  that  I  cannot  be 
mistaken.  And  although  my  natural  vision  is 
dark,  yet  my  mind's  vision  is  lit  up  with  a  bright 

and  glorious  prospect  of  the  future 

" '  Wm,  Miller,' 

"About  the  last  of  April,  1840,  his  health  be- 
gan to  decline  moi-e  rai)idly.  This  being  com- 
municated by  Mr.  Miller's  son  to  Mr.  Himes,  and 
received  by  him  at  New  York  during  the  session 
of  the  annual  Conference  there  on  the  lOth  of 
May,  1849,  he  stated  to  the  Conference  the  intel- 
ligence, and  moved  tlmt  tlicy  cr>n\ey  to  Mr.  M, 


CONFERENCE    RESOLUTIONS.  395 

au  expression  of  syiiipatliy.  The  following  reso- 
lution was  immediately  drawn  up  by  the  presi- 
dent, and  unanimously  adopted  by  a  rising  vote : — 

"  'Advent  Cokference,  New  York,  Mat  10,  1849. 
" '  Whereas,  Our  beloved  Brother  William  Mil- 
ler has  been  called  to  endure  a  great  fight  of  af- 
flictions ;  and  as  God  has  been  pleased,  after  em- 
ploying him  in  advancing  the  cause  of  truth,  to 
lay  his  hand  on  him,  and  suspend  his  labors ; 
therefore, 

"'  Mesolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathize  with 
our  brother  in  his  sorrows,  and  assure  him  that 
our  love  to  him  is  steadfast,  and  that  he  has  our 
earnest  prayers  that "  these  light  afflictions,  which 
are  but  for  a  moment,  may  work  out  for  him  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory ;" 
and  that  we  hope,  ere  long,  we  may  meet  with 
him  and  all  the  saints  in  the  new  heavens  and 
earth,  where  there  will  be  no  more  sis'hinof,  sor- 
row,  or  death. 

" '  (Signed,)     Nathan  N.  Whiting,  Pres. 
'"Sylvester  Buss, )  (^   ,  , 
" '  0.  R.  Fassett,      j'^^c^- 

"Mr.  Miller  received  the  above  on  the  12th  of 
May,  by  the  hand  of  his  biographer.  On  enter- 
ing his  room,  lie  was  reclining  on  a  lounge.  At 
the  mention  of  his  name,  he  immediately  arose, 
and  recognized  the  messenger.  He  was  much  af- 
fected with  the  expression  of  sympathy  sent  by 
the  Conference,  and  returned  the  following  reply, 
which  was  received  by  the  Conference  at  Boston, 
to  which  place  it  had  adjourned,  where  it  was 
entered  onjt;;  minutes,  Ma}^  2'),  1840. 


396  LIFE    OF    MH-LE11. 

'•  '  Low  llAMrroN,  Mav  lli,  1819. 
" '  To  my  beloved  brethren  in  Christ,  assem- 
bled in  Conference,  and  to  the  saints  scattered 
abroad.     Grace  be  unto  you,  and  peace,  from  God 
our  Father  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ : — 

"  '  I  give  thanks  to  God  for  your  kind  remem- 
brance of  mo,  as  expressed  in  the  lesolution  of 
the  10th  of  May  inst.,  in  your  late  meeting  at 
New  York  city,  and  forwarded  to  me  by  the  hand 
of  Bro.  Bliss.  I  have  not  ceased  to  make  men- 
tion of  you  alway  in  my  prayers,  that  you  might 
walk  together  Avorthy  of  your  high  calling  in 
Christ  Jesus,  that  you  may  be  filled  with  the 
knowledge  of  his  will,  in  all  wisdom  and  spirit- 
ual understanding,  being  fruitful  in  every  good 
work,  and  increasing  in  the  knowledge  of  God.  I 
feel  myself  greatly  revived  by  your  expression  of 
sympathy,  and  trust  that  you  will  never  have 
occasion  to  feel  that  it  has  been  misplaced. 

"  '  My  multiplied  and  increasing  infirmities  ad- 
monish me  that  the  time  of  my  departure  is  draw- 
ing nigh.  My  earthly  labors  have  ceased,  and  I 
now  await  the  Master's  call,  to  be  leady  at  his 
appearing,  or,  if  it  so  please  him,  for  the  little 
while  his  coming  may  bo  delayed,  to  depart  and 
be  with  C*hrist,  which  is  far  better  than  to  abide 
in  the  ilcsli.  I  feel  that  I  have  but  little  choice, 
whether  1  shall  bo  continued  in  life  till  that 
event,  or  my  spirit  be  gathered  to  the  spirits  of 
just  men  madci  jierfect.  However  ( iod  may  be 
pleased  to  deal  with  me,  1  am  sustained  liy  the 
blessed  assurance  that,  whether  i  wake  or  slcej), 
I  shall  be  present  with  the  Lord. 

"'I  daily  have  you  all  in  giateiii]  i-emem- 
lirauce;  and  rejoire  that  r.n  mauN' of  v<»i.i  crmlinue 


r.ETTER    TO    COXFERENCE.  307 

;.lca(iru;;L  m  tlic  iliith  oiico  dcliveic'd  lo  l,]ic  .suiiils, 
looking  foi-  tliat  blessed  lio})e  aiul  the  gloiious  ap- 
pearing of  the  great  God,  even  our  Saviour  Je- 
sus C'hii.nt.  1  pray  (Jod  tliat  your  iaith  may  fail 
not,  and  that  you  may  continue  woiking  together 
in  harmony,  l)uilding  up  one  another  in  the  most 
holy  faith,  and.  ]y  your  l»lameless  lives  and  god- 
ly conversation,  commending  this  gospel  of  Olnist 
to  the  hearts  and  consciences  of  dying  men. 

"'I  have  but  little  hope,  in  my  present  weak- 
ness and  infirmities,  of  seeing  the  faces  of  many 
of  you  in  the  llesh.  rermit  me,  therefore,  to  ex- 
hort you  not  to  be  ashamed  of  tiie  doctrine  of  the 
kingdom  of  Christ,  nor  of  acknowledging  on  all 
[)roper  occasions  your  confidence  in  tlic  nearness 
of  his  coming. 

'"My  belief  is  un.ihakcn  in  the  correctness  of 
the  conclusions  I  have  arrived  at  and  maintained 
during  the  last  twenty  j^ears.  I  see  no  reason  to 
([uestion  the  evidence  on  which  rest  the  funda- 
mental principles  of  our  faith.  J  cannot  avoid 
the  belief  that  this  earth  is  to  be  restored  to  its 
Kden  state,  and  become  the  eternal  residence  of 
the  saints :  that  Christ  is  to  come  personally,  to 
reign  on  the  earth  ;  that  he  will  redeem  us  from 
death,  and  ransom  us  from  the  power  of  the 
grave ;  that  he  will  change  our  vile  bodies  into 
the  likeness  of  his  glorified  body,  and  destroy 
those  who  destroy  the  earth  ;  and  that  at  his 
coming  will  be  the  restoration  of  all  things, 
spoken  of  by  the  mouth  of  all  the  holy  [)rophets 
since  tlie  world  began,  the  estal:)lishmcnt  of  the 
new  lieavens  and  new  earth,  the  resurrection 
of  the  lighteous,  and  the  change  of  the  living 
wicked  from  the  earth, — whose  resurrection  will 
not  transpire  till  after  one  thousand  years. 


398  LIFE   OF   MILLER. 

"  '  Tlie  evidences  of  Christ's  coining  arc  contin- 
ually thickening;  it  Imsteth  greatly;  and  should 
this  earthly  house  of  my  tabernacle  be  dissolved, 
my  hope  is  still  strong  tliat  I  shall  shortly  meet 
him  in  the  air.  The  political  clouds  in  the  Eastern 
horizon  indicate  to  me  the  near  approach  of  the 
battle  of  the  Lord  God  Almighty,  the  destruction 
of  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth,  and  the  estabUsh- 
ment  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  We  may  not  know 
the  precise  time,  but  I  entreat  of  you  all  to  be 
prepared  for  the  approaching  crisis. 

" '  Grudge  not  one  against  another,  brethren. 
Be  patient,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh.  Be  not  many  masters,  but  let  each  one  do 
the  work  which  God  has  fitted  him  for.  Avoid 
vain  janglings  and  questions  which  gender  strife. 
Keep  constantly  in  view  the  great  question  of 
the  coming  of  the  Lord, — the  hope  which  puri- 
fieth  the  heart,  and  tends  to  the  unity  of  the  whole 
body  of  believers.  If  you  do  this,  you  will  do 
well,  and  will  each  seek  the  other's  good  in  pref- 
erence to  his  own,  and  thus  become  living  epis- 
tles, known  and  read  of  all  men. 

" '  In  unity  of  effort  will  be  your  only  strength. 
Therefore  I  recommend  your  meeting  often  in 
conference,  as  you  have  done,  to  consult  with  and 
encourage  each  other,  in  these  times  of  trial  and 
temptation.  Be  not  turned  away  from  your  great 
work  by  friends  or  foes ;  but  let  each  one  occupy 
the  talent  intrusted  to  him — each  working  in  his 
appropriate  field  of  labor.  Be  charitable  to  all, 
and  not  indulge  in  harsh  and  bitter  denunciations 
against  those  who  are  not  enabled  to  see  with 
you.  Cultivate  that  spirit  of  good  will  toward 
all  men,  which  shall  fit  you  to  be  instrumental, 
in  the  hands  of  God,  of  saving  some ;  and  be  less 


nrS   AFFLICTIONS.  ;^)99 

interested  to  advance  the  prosperity  of  jiarty  or 
sect  tlian  to  extend  tlic  cause  of  truth.  Above 
all,  keep  close  to  the  word  of  God,  And,  finally, 
brethren,  farewell.  Be  perfect,  be  of  good  cheer, 
be  of  one  mind,  live  in  peace;  and  the  God  of 
love  and  peace  shall  be  with  you. 

" '  Wm.  ]\[illeh.' 

"  He  was  .at  this  time  somewhat  disposed  to 
melancholy,  but  while  the  writer  was  with  him, 
which  was  two  days,  he  partook  of  his  food  with 
the  family,  and  ate  with  considerable  relish — 
which  was,  they  stated,  what  he  had  not  done 
before  for  several  weeks.  He  never  doubted  his 
acceptance  through  the  blood  of  Jesus,  but  rather 
shrank  from  the  expected  sufferings  attending 
the  dissolution  of  the  body.  Still  he  was  willing 
to  endure  all  that  for  the  sake  of  the  prospect 
beyond.  In  a  letter  written  at  this  date,  he 
said : — 

" '  If  the  meeting  of  one  kindred  spirit  is  so 
cheering  to  a  sick  man  here,  what  must  be  the 
joy  of  our  greeting  in  the  other  world !  The 
thought  of  death  is  a  chilling  one ;  but  a  meet- 
ing with  the  kindred  spirits  who  are  with  Christ 
waiting  for  the  consummation  of  his  kingdom 
reconciles  me  to  the  idea  of  passing  through  the 
dark  valley.' 

"In  November,  1849,  Elder  L.  Kimball,  who 
had  had  the  charge  of  the  church  in  Low  Hamp- 
ton, took  his  leave  of  that  people.     He  writes  : — 

'"Agreeably  to  Bro.  Miller's  urgent  request, 
we  held  the  evening  meeting  (of  the  first  Sunday 
in  Nov.)  at  his  house.  He  said  he  wanted  to  hear 
me  preach  once  more.    He  also  desired  the  singers 


400  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

to  altoul.  Ai'tcr  a.s.sciiil)Ung,  he  called  me  to  his 
room,  and  gave  me  for  a  text,  '•'  And  when  they 
had  seen  the  brethren,  they  comforted  tliem  and 
departed."  Acts  IG  :  40.  He  was  drawn,  in  his 
easy  chair,  from  his  room  to  the  kitchen,  where 
he  remained  till  the  close  of  the  services.  He 
was  unable  to  take  any  part,  but  expressed  him- 
self gratified,  and  wished  that  he  could  have  said 
a  few  words  to  the  brethren  and  friends  present. 
It  was  to  me  a  solemn  season.' 

"About  the  first  of  December,  Elder  J).  I.  Rob- 
inson visited  him.     Ho  writes  : — 

" '  Such  was  the  state  of  the  roads  that  I  did 
not  arrive  there  till  sunset.  His  house  stood  in 
sight  of  the  stage-road  to  Rutland,  so  that  it  was 
a  subject  for  observation  to  all  the  passengers  in 
the  stage.  It  was  pointed  out  to  me  l)y  one  of 
them,  who  lived  in  an  adjoining  village.  It  was 
to  me  a  fruitful  subject,  as  I  beheld,  for  the  first 
time,  both  beaut}'  and  sublimity  in  the  cultivated 
vale  and  snow-capped,  venerable  mountains  in 
the  vicinity.  I  thought  how  appropriate — how 
like  the  hills  and  vales  of  Judea,  where  Amos 
and  other  shepherds  and  former  servants  of  the 
Most  High  lived,  were  called,  and  sent  to  warn 
mankind ! 

"  '  As  I  apjjroached  across  the  farm,  I  passed 
the  grove  where  he  had  meditated,  wept,  and 
prayed,  and  entered  the  house  of  the  aged,  worn- 
out,  sick  and  dying  servant  of  God,  who  had  been 
so  scorned  by  the  world.  I  felt  favored  of  God. 
I  was  welcomed  in  the  simple,  hearty,  easy  style 
of  a  Vermont  Christian  farmer's  family.  That 
pleasant,  beaming  countenance  of  his  wife,  and 
the  hearty  shake  of  the  hand,  told  me  I  was  at 


Li:l'TEK    01'    H.     1.    K01!INS0;N'.  'Idl 

home  ;  and  the  kettle  of  hominy,  just  taken  from 
the  fire,  was  at  once  prophetic  of  my  supper. 
And  all  the  memhers  of  the  family,  intelligent, 
modest,  and  cordial,  made  me  feel  how  really  glad 
they  were  of  the  call,  and  to  hear  from  those 
abroad. 

'' '  I  was  quickly  invited  into  the  ''  east  room," 
where  "Father  Miller"  greeted  me,  though  he 
could  not  see  so  as  to  know  me  ;  but,  when  told, 
recollected  distinctly.  He  was  much  changed, 
and  yet  so  changed  as  to  leave  all  the  good  out- 
lines of  former  acquaintance  behind.  His  sufier- 
ings  through  the  summer  and  fall  had  been  very 
great.  He  was  much  swollen  by  dropsy.  His 
strength  and  sight  were  much  diminished.  His 
venerable  white  locks  were  few  and  thin,  and  his 
flesh  was  like  that  of  a  child.  But  his  voice  was 
full,  his  memory  good,  his  intellect  strikingly 
strong  and  clear,  and  his  patience  and  resignation 
were  remarkable.  He  asked  of  my  welfare,  and 
of  the  friends  ;  and  said  he  was  never  so  strong 
in  his  mind  that  we  were  right  as  now.  He  was 
sure  it  could  not  be  long  before  the  coming  of 
the  Lord.  He  wished  him  to  come  soon  ;  but,  if 
not,  to  be  taken  himself  to  the  Lord. 

"  He  was  drawn  to  the  table  in  his  chair,  and 
ate  supper  with  the  family,  probably  for  the  last 
time.  Elder  E..  left  the  next  morning  between 
four  and  five  o'clock  ;  but  Mr.  Miller  was  awake, 
and  arose  to  take  an  affectionate  leave  of  him. 

"  For  several  months  he  had  been  confined 
mostly  to  his  room.  During  a  part  of  the  time 
he  had  been  confined  to  his  bed,  lounge,  or  easy 
chair ;  and  he  suffered  excruciating  pain,  which 
he  endured  with  Christian  patience.     During  his 

Miller.  20 


4U2  LIFE    OF    MILLER. 

greatest  sufferings,  he  solaced  himself  by  quota- 
tions of  numerous  passages  of  Scripture,  and  fa- 
vorite hymns  of  Watts  and  others,  expressive  of 
the  hope  and  joy  of  the  redeemed. 

"  He  had  watched  all  the  occurrences  in  Eu- 
rope with  great  interest;  but,  giving  up  the  idea 
of  seeing  the  Saviour  before  his  death,  he  had  ar- 
ranged all  his  business,  and  waited  for  the  sum- 
mons when  he  might  '  depart  and  be  with 
Christ.'  * 

"  On  the  loth  of  December  he  had  one  of  the 
most  severe  attacks  of  pain  which  he  was  called 
to  endure.     It  was  then  thought  he  would  not 


*Mr.  Bliss,  Mr.  Miller's  biographer,  served  a  party  who  held 
the  popular  views  of  consciousness  in  death.  This  is  also  true 
of  Eld.  Himes,  who  professed  faith  in  the  same  views  of  man  in 
death  at  that  time.  This  accounts  for  the  decided  efforts  of  both 
these  friends  of  Mr.  Miller  to  use  his  last  experience  on  the  side 
of  natural  immortality.  It  is  proper,  however,  here  to  state  that 
Eld.  Himes,  when  diti'erently  related  to  the  Advent  people,  was 
suddenly  and  unexpectedly  found  on  the  other  side  of  the  immor- 
tality question,  and  has  since  given  his  pen  and  voice  in  support 
of  unconsciousness  in  death  and  immortality  alone  through 
Christ.  The  effort  to  use  the  honest  convictions  of  this  aged 
and  wornout  pilgrim  before  and  at  his  last  sickness  on  the  side 
of  popular  error  shows  a  want  of  plain  Bible  testimony  to  sustain 
a  sinking  cause. 

The  state  between  the  cessation  of  the  mortal  life  and  the  res- 
urrection to  immortal  life  being  unconsciousness,  hence  no  ap- 
parent lapse  of  time  to  those  who  sleep  in  Jesus,  it  seems  most 
reasonable  that  the  Holy  Spirit  should  impress  the  dying  Chris- 
tian with  the  scenes  of  glory  which  he  is  next  to  witness  at  the 
resuirection  of  the  just,  whether  the  time  of  that  resurrection  to 
consciousness  be  near  or  distant.  And  how  very  natural  for 
those  who  die  in  the  faith  of  consciousness  in  death  to  suppose 
that  they  immediately  enter  upon  the  glories  of  the  heavenly 
world.  I   T^'- 


Ills    I.AST    liOl  US.  403 

survive  till  the  next  morning,  and  Elder  Himes 
was  immediately  telegraphed  for,  at  the  request 
of  Mr.  ]V[.     Mr.  Himes  wrote  : — 

"  '  On  my  arrival,  early  in  the  morning  of  the 
17th,  he  had  obtained  some  relief,  and  was  quite 
comfortable.  On  enteiing  his  room,  he  immedi- 
ately recognized  my  voice,  and,  on  approaching 
his  bed-side,  he  was  able  to  distinguish  my  feat- 
ures, though  his  eyes  were  dim. 

"'Then  you  do  know  me,  b'athor  Miller,  do 
you  ? ' 

"'Oh!  yes;  I  understand, — I  know  what  is 
passing.' 

"  '  He  was  then  silent  for  a  few  moments,  ap- 
])arently  in  a  dec]»  study.  Presently  he  intro- 
duced the  subject  of  my  connection  with  the  Ad- 
vent cause,  and  spoke  of  my  responsibility  ;  ex- 
pressed much  anxiety  about  the  cause,  and  alluded 
to  his  own  de])arture.  I  assured  him  that  he  had 
faithfully  discharged  his  duty,  was  clear  from  the 
blood  of  all  men,  and  could  now  leave  this  mat- 
ter in  the  hands  of  God ;  and,  so  far  as  I  was 
concerned,  I  hoped  for  grace  to  enable  me  to  be 
faithful  in  the  ministry  I  had  received.  He 
seemed  to  assent,  and  fell  into  a  doze, — being 
weak,  and  unable  to  converse  longer  than  a  few 
moments  at  a  time. 

'"He  then  spoke  on  the  subject  of  the  "  s])irit 
of  adoption,"  which  we  have  now,  and  of  the  final 
adoption  for  which  w^e  look  aJ  the  second  coming 
of  the  blessed  Saviour.  Last  evening  he  said  to 
Bro.  Bosworth : — 

'"Tell  them  [the  brcthivn]  we  are  right,  'flu; 
coming  of  the  Lord  draweth  nigli  ;  biit  they  must 
be  ])aticnt,  and  wait  (bi'  him,' 


404  1.1  KK    OK    iMlLLEJ}. 

" '  His  mind  is  still  clear  and  strong  on  the  sub- 
ject of  the  conscious  intermediate  state.  He  be- 
lieves that  when  he  shall  be  absent  from  the  body 
he  will  be  present  with  the  Lord.  He  expects 
that  his  flesh  will  slumber  in  the  ground  till  Jesus 
comes  and  bids  it  rise,  when  he  will  be  perfected. 
lie  never  looked  for  the  crown  at  death,  but  at 
the  time  when  Jesus  should  come  in  his  glory. 
The  intermediate  state  is  not  that  for  which  he 
longs  most  (though,  with  the  apostle,  lie  thinks 
it  is  "  better  "  than  this  state  of  toil  and  sorrow), 
but  the  final,  the  glorified  state,  when  the  body 
shall  be  redeemed,  and  made  like  unto  the  glori- 
ous body  of  Christ,  is  the  subject  of  tliis  hope. 

"  'For  some  weeks  past,  his  mind  dwelt  much 
on  the  subjects  of  the  Judgment,  the  "  adoption," 
and  the  new  heavens  and  earth. 

" '  Such  views  of  the  future  glory  tended  to 
mitigate  the  pains  of  his  body,  which,  at  times, 
were  violent. 

"  '  Happy  tlie  s[)h'it  released  from  its  clay." 

was  one  of  the  hymns  in  Mdiich  he  was  dee}dy 
interested  during  the  last  four  weeks  of  his  life, 
Tt  was  sung  by  his  children,  and  those  who  vis- 
ited him,  repeatedly,  at  his  request.  It  cnra})t- 
ured  his  soul  during  his  last  hours,'^when  he 
seemed  to  be  absent,  conversing  with  God  and 
Heaven.     He  often  repeated : — 

"  '  Victory  !  A'ictory  I  slioutiug  in  death  1 ' 

" '  The  closing  scene  finally  came.  On  the  '20th 
of  December,  in  the  morning,  it  was  manifest  to 
all  that  he  must  soon  depart.  During  the  morn- 
ing he  made  no  particular  conversation,  but  would 
break  forth  in  expressions  like  the  following: — 


ins  DEATH.  405 

"  '  Mighty  tu  save  ! '  '  Oli,  1  lung  to  be  tlieie  ! ' 
'  Victory  !   victory  ! '      '  Shouting  in  death  ! '  kc. 

" '  He  finally  sunk  down  into  an  easy  sleeping 
or  dozing  state.  Occasionally  he  roused  up  and 
opened  his  eyes,  but  was  not  able  to  speak,  though 
perfectly  rational,  and  knew  us  all.  He  contin- 
ued to  breathe  shorter,  and  shorter,  till  five  min- 
utes past  three  o'clock,  p.  m.,  when  he  calmly  and 
sweetly  gave  his  last  breath.  The  silver  cord 
was  loosed,  the  golden  bowl  was  broken  at  the 
fountain,  and  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern ; 
the  dust  was  left  to  return  to  the  dust  as  it  was, 
and  the  spirit  returned  to  God  who  gave  it. 
Peacefully  and  happily  he  died,  with  his  Avife, 
children,  and  friends,  about  his  bed  !  I  closed  his 
eyes,  while  all  other  eyes  were  filled  with  tears. 
It  was  a  solemn  scene.  While  the  wife  and  chil- 
dren and  friends  were  weeping  the  loss  of  a  be- 
loved relative,  I  was  there  to  weep  the  loss  of  a 
father  in  Israel. 

" '  The  funeral  service  was  attended  on  Sun- 
day, December  23.  The  Advent  chapel  in  Low 
Hampton  being  too  small  to  accommodate  the 
family,  friends,  and  citizens,  who  were  desirous 
of  attending,  Mr.  Shaw,  pastor  of  the  Congrega- 
tional church  in  Fairhaven,  kindly  offered  the 
use  of  his  large  and  commodious  house.  It  had 
been  Mr.  Miller's  request  that  the  funeral  service 
should  be  held  in  the  Advent  chapel ;  but  this 
being  found  impossible,  the  family  decided  to 
have  a  short  service  at  their  residence,  to  bury 
the  body,  and  then  to  proceed  to  the  Congrega- 
tional house,  for  the  performance  of  the  more 
public  service. 

"'The  relatives  of  the  deceased,  and  a  large 
number  of  his  neighbors  and  otlicrs,  assembled 


406  LIFK    OF    Mfl.LER. 

at  the  hou.sc  al  lO  A.  M.  [  read  thu  I'olluvving 
]»ortions  of  Scripture,  namely,  1  Thess.  4  :  13-18 ; 
Phil.  8  :  20,  21  ;  Col.  3  :  1-3..  The  choir  from  the 
Fairhaven  church  then  sung  the  hymn  commenc- 
ing with — 

"  '  Unveil  tliy  bosom,  faithful  tomb.' 

After  a  prayer,  those  present  took  leave  of  the 
corpse,  and  the  procession — formed  under  the 
direction  of  ])r.  Smith,  of  (Jastleton — proceeded 
to  the  old  family  hurying-ground,  about  half  a 
mile  distant.  The  body  being  lowered  into  the 
tomb,  the  following  hymn  was  sung  by  the 
choir : — 

''  '  Happy  the  spirit  released  from  its  clay,'  &c. 

"  '  With  a  last,  lingering  look,  we  turned  from 
the  tomb,  and  proceeded  with  the  numerous 
friends  to  the  meeting-house,  to  attend  the  more 
public  service.  About  one  hundred  sleighs  fol- 
lowed in  the  ]')rocession. 

" '  On  arriving  at  the  house,  I  found  it  densely 
filled  with  people,  with  the  exception  of  seats 
reserved  for  the  family,  and  those  who  had 
formed  the  ]n-ocession.  The  service  Avas  com- 
menced by  singing  the  hymn  in  the  "  Harp,"  l)e- 
ginning  with — 

"  'How  blest  the  righteous  when  he  dies.' 

Mr.  Shaw,  pastor  of  the  church,  read  the  00th 
psalm,  and  addressed  the  throne  of  grace ;  after 
which  the  hymn — 

"  '  Why  do  we  Diouru  departed  friends?' 

was  sunff.  I  gave  a  discourse  from  Acts  20  :  0- 
8 :  "  And  now  I  stand  and  am  judged  for  the 
hope  of  the  promise  made  of  God  unto  our  fn- 


LETTEi:    Ol'    CONDOLENCE.  407 

tilers ;  unio  which  promise  our  twelve  tribes,  in- 
stantly serving  God  day  and  night,  hope  to 
come.  For  which  hope's  sake,  King  Agrippa,  I 
am  accused  of  the  Jews.  Why  should  it  be 
thought  a  thing  incredible  with  you,  that  God 
should  raise  the  dead  ?"  With  a  narration  of 
the  prominent  events  in  the  history  of  the  de- 
ceased, and  a  brief  synopsis  of  his  views,  the 
speaker  presented  the  hope  of  the  promise  of 
God  to  the  fathers,  to  be  consummated  at  the 
coming  of  the  Lord.  The  services  lasted  three 
hours,  and  were  concluded  with  the  hymn — 

"  '  They  sleep  in  Jesus,  and  are  blessed.' 

The  audience  were  attentive  and  interested  to 
the  close.  J.  V.  Himes.' 

"Mr.  Miller  left  a  wife,  six  sons,  and  two 
daughters. 

"  At  the  annual  Conference,  held  in  New  York, 
in  May  following,  by  a  unanimous  vote,  the  fol- 
lowing letter  of  condolence,  prepared  by  a  com- 
mittee appointed  for  that  purpose,  was  addressed 
to  the  relatives  of  the  deceased  : — 

"  '  In  Conference,  New  York,  May  8,  1850. 

"'To  Mrs.  Lucy  Miller,  her  children,  and 
other  relatives — 

"  'Afflicted  Friends  :  Since  our  last  meeting, 
you  have  been  called  to  mourn  the  death  of  a 
beloved  husband,  a  tender  parent,  and  an  affec- 
tionate friend.  In  your  bereavement  we  truly 
sympathize.  In  your  loss  we  also  have  lost  a 
friend  and  brother.  But  we  mourn  our  loss  in 
view  of  higher  considerations.  We  regard  him 
as  a  man  called  of  God  to  a  most  important  work  ; 
and  as  a  man  greatly  blessed  in  the  successful 


408  LIFK    OF    MIIJ.EK. 

performance  ol"  tluit  work.  The  uiisullied  integ- 
rity of  his  life  was  crowned  by  a  peaceful  and 
hopeful  death.  The  deep  sense  of  gratitude  we 
feel  to  God  for  the  benefits  conferred  on  us 
through  his  instrumentality,  we  trust  will  find  a 
response  in  many  Christian  hearts.  Through  the 
divine  blessing  on  his  teaching,  our  attention  has 
been  directed  to  a  more  faithful  study  of  the 
Scriptures,  to  clearer,  more  harmonious  and  cor- 
rect views  of  divine  truth.  We  have  thus  been 
led  to  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  to  be  revealed 
at  the  appearing  of  Christ.  We  fondly  hoped 
that  he  might  have  been  spared  till  our  expecta- 
tions were  realized.  He  has  passed  away.  May 
we  remember  that  our  obligations  are  increased 
by  the  truth  which  he  taught.  May  we  be  pre- 
pared for  a  reunion  with  him  and  all  the  re- 
deemed in  that  day.  Our  sincere  and  united 
prayer  is,  that  the  grace  which  sustained  him  un- 
der his  severe  trials,  and  in  the  closing  scene,  may 
support  you  in  your  bereavement,  and  in  all  the 
afflictions  of  the  present  state,  and  secure  to  you 
the  enjoyment  of  the  glorious  future.  Tendering 
to  your  acceptance  this  expression  of  our  sympa- 
thy and  condolence,  we  remain  your  affectionate 
brethren  in  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints. 
''■ '  (Signed,)  N.  N.  Whiting,  Pves. 

"'O.    R.   FA8SETT,  )    (.     ,    , 

"'S.  Bliss,  )^''^''- 

"  The  death  of  Mr.  Miller  was  very  general!}' 
noticed  by  the  religious  and  secular  press,  many 
of  whom  spoke  in  just  terms  of  his  honesty  and 
ability.  Other  papers  connected  with  his  mem- 
ory extravagances  with  which  he  had  no  sympa- 
thy and  never  participated  in." 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS. 


Articles  of  belief pp.  59-64 

Address  to  believers  in  the  advent  near  173-176 

Admissions  of  a  lawyer 155 

Address  to  Ciiristians  of  all  denominations 272-277 

Address  concerning  the  disappointment 282 

An  illustration  of  the  Advent  message 304 

Address  to  believers,  after  the  passing  of  the  time  320-334 
Answer  to  letter  of  N.  N.  Whiting  on  the  subject  of  the 

"  shut  door"  335-338 

Albany  Conference — Declaration  of  principles 344-350 

Albany  Conference — jSIiller's  address 350-355 

Associated  action  347 

Apology  and  defense 359-362 

Address  to  the  public    381-385 

Bost07i  Investit/ator,  letter  in  101 

Boston  Post,  letter  in  162 

Conversion 43,  357 

Conviction  of  duty  to  preach  65,  72 

Correspondence  on  his  views  68 

Calls  for  labor  in  many  places  102* 

Christian  Secretary  159 

Christian  Reflector,  account  of  labor  in ,. 191 

Camp-meeting,  East  Kingston,  N.  H 162 

"  Exeter,  N.  li 248 

"  Plainfield,  Ct 254 

Conference  address 249 

Counsel  to  believers  315-319 

Conference  at  Albany 343 

Conference  letter  to  his  family  ,  407-408 

(40!)) 


410  INDEX    OF    SUBJECTS. 

DeisLical  Seutimeuls  lio-bii 

Difficulties  in  his  study G6,  G7 

Death  of  his  mother — his  impression 105-107 

Dr.  Dowling  190,  195,  200,  204,  205,  206,  211,  213 

Dr.  Chase  100,  102,  193,  195 

Dr.  Jarvis  190,  193,  JOG,  199,  205,  211,  215 

Dr.  Hamilton,  190,  193,  204,  205 

Disappointment  of  seventh  month  movement 300 

Definiteness  of  prophetic  time 362 

Death  and  funeral  405-407 

Early  life 13-18 

Early  Christian  life  ,  64-6G 

Eld.  Ilendryx'  first  acquaintance  with  Miller  73 

Eld.  T.  Cole,  Lovi'ell,  his  disappointment,  &c 122 

Eld.  Himes'  first  acquaintance  127 

Extension  of  labors  128 

Eld.  David  Millard,  testimony  of 131 

Eld.  D.  I.  Robinson,  letter  of  133 

Eld.  L.  D.  Fleming,  Portland,  Me.,  his  account  of  labor  139 

Four  fundamental  points  7 

First  public  lecture 80 

Fanaticism,  its  commencement  249 

False  reports  of  Mr.  Miller's  property 2G7 

Faith  in  his  experience  in  the  work 369-374 

*  Ga-elte  and  Adperliscr.  Long  Island,  testimony  of 245 

Home  of  Mr.  Miller  262 

How  to  deal  with  those  in  error ,  385,  386 

His  last  sickness — described  by  Eld,  Himes  403-405 

Interview  on  a  Hudson  Paver  steamer 91 

Interesting  conversation  with  ministers  177 

Illustration  by  time  of  Noah 222 

Interview  with  Methodist  ministers  on  a  steamer  ...  286-289 
Interest  in?;  letter  from  ITarrisburg 291 


INDEX    OF    SUU.TECT.S.  411 

.loliu  SlarkwioHuT,  U-acIcr  in  fatiaticisiiii  iu  Uostou  1251 

Low  Ilamptou,  settlement  there  o9 

Labor  in  a  revival 71 

License  to  preach,  Baptist  chiu'ches  in  Hampton   and 

Whitehall  03 

Letter  to  Eld.  Hendryx 75,  82,  88,  91,  9G,  98,  101,  102, 

lOG,  108 

Letter  from  Charles  Fitch    1L3 

Letter  from  pastor  in  West  Troy  115 

Letter  from  pastor  of  Baptist  church  in  Rome,  N.  Y.  ...  117 

Letter  to  his  son,  from  Burlington,  \t 118 

Letter  from  Boston  121 

Lynn  Record,  notice  in  the  12-1 

Letter  of  S.  Hawley,  Cong,  minister,  Groton,  Mass 12G 

Lectured  on  steamboat  1G6 

Letter  from  home 169 

Letter  from  Mr.  Miller  on  false  reports  of  time 182 

Letter  of  Miller  on  the  fanaticism  255 

Letter  to  I.  E.  .Tones  in  Advent  Herald  311 

Letter  to  the  Boston  Investigator 339—342 

Loss  of  sight , 392 

Letter  written  when  he  M'as  blind  394 

Military  life  .33-38 

"Monomaniac:"  interview  with  a  physician 70-78 

Memoranda  of  preaching 98 

Ministers  of  various  denominations  approve  his  labors  ..  104 

Maine  Wedejjan  Journal,  testimony  of,  141 

•'  Midnight  Cry,"  letter  from  a  member  of  Yale  College  168 

Miller  and  his  reviewers  188 

Mr.  Shimeall 193,  199,205,  206 

Miller's  vicMS  sustained  by  the  great  body  of  expositors 
189-216 

Newark,  N.  J.,  meeting  in  the  "big  tent" 166 

N.  Y.  Herald's  false  report  of  the  time  set  181 

X.  Y.  Oi^.'"'r<vr  on  same  181 


-112  INDEX    OF    S!  lUKCTS. 

Notes  on  points  ol'  doctriae  5l!-51 

"     on  prophetic  periods 5(1 

"     on  money  received 110 

"     on  replying  to  questions  177 

"     on  Hebrew  word  hhatak,  determined,  cut  off,  Dan. 

9:  24  202 

Notes  on  the  fanaticism  249 

"     on  Miller's  views  of  spiritual  gifts 256,  257 

"     from  Signs  of  Times  on  the  types 295,  296 

"     on  the  disappointment  307 

"     on  Mr.  Miller's  humility  and  kindness  of  spirit  ...   337 
"     en  Scripture  citations  on  points  of  doctrine  ...  345-349 

"     on  drawing  back  from  Advent  faith  355,  35G 

"     on  the  subject  of  Babylon 303,  364 

"     on  the  "  shut  door  "  368-370 

"     on  the  sanctuary  and  lime 8,  372 

"     on  the  intermediate  state 402 

Patriotic  sentiments 21-24 

Prophecies,  his  first  views  of  the,  51-59 

Public  labors,  commencement  of,  79 

Publication  of  lectures  .., 130 

Pittsburgh  Gazette,  testimony  of,  186 

Prof.  Stuart 190,  192,  193,  194,  197,  199 

Prof.  Hinton  191,  192 

Prof.  Bush  196,  197,  198 

"     his  letter  to  Wm.  Miller,  8,  9 

Prof.  Pond 196 

Phrenological  Examination  in  Boston 156-158 

Passing  of  the  time 278 

Patience  under  disappointment 306 

lleligious  Impressions 41-43 

llules  of  Interpretation 48-51 

Results  of  early  labors  83-101 

Reverend,  repudiates  the  title  of 97 

Reproof  of  various  errors  364-367 

Rppolnfinn  of  sympathy  in  his  blindness,   of  N.  Y.  Conf.  39r) 


INDEX    OF    SU ]!.IECT.S.  41.'} 

Response  to  resolutions  of  N.  Y.  Conf o'JG-399 

Stud_7  of  the  Scriptures  40 

Signs  of  The  Times,  publication  of lo4 

Synopsis  of  his  views  170-173 

Sandy  II ill  Herald,  remaiks  of 183-185 

Seventy  weeks  ami  2300  days  217-221,  372 

Specimens  of  his  preaching  228-245 

Sickness  of  Mr.  Miller 247 

Seventh  month  movement — his  view  of  it 37-5-370 

Sickness  in   Canada 380-388 

The  Scriptui-e.<,  his  love  of 92,  03 

The  Fountain,  temperance  pajier.  testimony  of Km 

The  Countryman,  testimony  of ISi; 

Treatment  of  opponents 217 

The  seventh-month  movement  295 

Universalism,  letter  on  87 

lAiversaliat  exhorted  95 

Visit  of  Lafayette  70 

Visits  to  Massachusetts  121 

Visit  to  his  house,  by  D.  I.  Robinson  400 

AVay  opens  for  puLlic  labors  102 

Watertown,  Mass.,  account  of  Mr.  Medbury,  Baptist^ 

minister  136 

Wliittier,  the  poet,  letter  of 163 

■Washington  City,  labors  in  277 

"What  I  have  not  done" — an  intercstinc;  letter 388-390 


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